COPYRlGH 
\  Newyo 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022085066 


This  Book  Belongs  to 

Horace  H.Smith 


The  Life  and  Strange 

Surprising  Adventures  of 


^_, 


c 


i*. 


Of  York,  Mariner,  as    Related 
by  Himself. 


BY 


Daniel    Defof 


With    One    Hundred    and    Twenty  Original   Illustrations    by 
Walter  Paget. 


McLOUGH  LIN     BROTH  F «  S, 


New -York. 


PUBLISHERS'   NOTE. 


By  arrangement  with  Messrs.  Cassell  and  Company, 
London,  the  illustrations  to  this  edition  of  "  Robinson 
Crusoe "  have  been  printed  from  electrotypes  from  the 
original  wood  engravings. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


$art    X. 


THIS    WAS    GAME    INDEED         . 
HEADPIECE       ......... 

'you're   BUT   A   FRESH-WATER   sailor'" 

WE    WALKED    ON    FOOT    TO    YARMOUTH  "... 

SURPRISED    IN    THE    GRAY    OF    THE    MORNING  " 

I    PROVED    VERY    DEXTEROUS "..... 

'  IF    YOU    COME    NEAR    THE    BOAT,    I'LL    SHOOT    YOU  '  "       . 
WE    FILLED    OUR    JARS  "  ...... 

I    BOUGHT    ME    A    NEGRO    SLAVE "  .  . 

LOOKING    OVER    THE    CHARTS "..... 

WE    HASTENED    OUR    DESTRUCTION    WITH    OUR    OWN    HANDS 
I    WAS    NOW    LANDED  "  ...... 

SHOES    THAT    WERE    NOT    FELLOWS  " 

I    ESPIED    A    SMALL    PIECE    OF    ROPE  "      . 

I    FELL    FAST    ASLEEP  "  ...... 

A    CONFUSED    SCREAMING    AND    CRYING  "... 

THE    KID    FOLLOWED    ME  "       . 

I    WANTED    NOTHING    THAT    HE    COULD    FETCH    ME  " 

THEY    ALL    FACED    ABOUT    UPON    THE    DOG  "    . 

A    KIND    OF    WILD    PIGEONS  "  ..... 

I    WAS    SURPRISED    AND    PERFECTLY    ASTONISHED  " 
GRINDING    MY    TOOLS  "  ...... 

I  CAUGHT  A  YOUNG  DOLPHIN  "  . 
A  LARGE  TORTOISE,  OR  TURTLE  " 
BROILED    IT    ON    THE    COALS  " 


PAGE 

{Frontispiece) 
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to  face 


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VI 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


I    WENT    UP    THE    CREEK    FIRST 

I    SOWED    MY    GRAIN  "  ... 

I    DESCENDED    A    LITTLE    ON    THE    SIDE    OF    THAT    DELICIOUS    VALLE\ 

I    KNOCKED    IT    DOWN    WITH    A    STICK  "... 

AN    INFINITE    NUMBER    OF    FOWLS  " 

I    FIRED    AGAIN  "  ....... 

I    HANGED    THEM    IN    CHAINS  "..... 

WHAT    ODD,   MISSHAPEN,   UGLY    THINGS    I    MADE  " 

I    RESOLVED    TO    DIG    INTO    THE    SURFACE    OF    THE    EARTH 

I    MADE    ME    A    SUIT    OF    CLOTHES  " 

I    BROUGHT    IT    INTO    THE    CREEK  " 

I    FELL    ON    MY    KNEES  "... 

HOW    LIKE    A    KING    I    DINED  " 

I    STOOD    LIKE    ONE    THUNDERSTRUCK  " 

I    HAD    MY    COUNTRY    SEAT  " 

MY    EVENING    DIVERSION  "      . 

A    PLACE    WHERE    THERE    HAD    BEEN    A    FIRE    MADE 

TO    SEE    IF    I    COULD    OBSERVE    ANY    BOATS " 

I    STIRRED    HIM    A    LITTLE  " 

A    LIGHT    OF    SOME    FIRE    UPON    THE    SHORE 

THE    CORPSE    OF    A    DROWNED    BOY  " 

BEGAN    TO    EXAMINE    THE    PARTICULARS  " 

DANCING    ROUND    THE    FIRE  " 

I    WAS    THEN    OBLIGED    TO    SHOOT  " 

AT    ONE    BLOW    CUT    OFF    HIS    HEAD  "       . 

I    PRESENTED    MY    PIECE "       . 

I    ENTERED    INTO    A    LONG    DISCOURSE  " 

UPON    SEEING    THIS    BOAT,   FRIDAY    STOOD    MUSING    A    GREAT 

INCH    BY    INCH    UPON    GREAT    ROLLERS " 

IN    THIS    POSTURE    WE    MARCHED    OUT  " 

I    FIRED    AGAIN    AMONG    THE    AMAZED    WRETCHES 

I    MADE    DIRECTLY    TOWARDS    THE    POOR    VICTIM  ' 

WRINGING    MY    SWORD    OUT    OF    HIS    HAND  " 

MY    EYE    PLAINLY    DISCOVERED    A    SHIP    LYING    AT    AN    ANCHOR 

'WHAT    ARE    YE,   GENTLEMEN?'" 

THEY    BEGGED    FOR    MERCY  "... 

HE    MADE    ROBINSON    HAIL    THEM  " 

SHOT    THE    NEW    CAPTAIN    THROUGH    THE    HEAD 


PAGE 

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J57 

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J77 

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184 

192 

to  face 

192 

List  of  Illustrations.  vii 

PAGE 

"i  SHOWED  THEM  THE  NEW  CAPTAIN  HANGING  AT  THE  YARD-ARM  OF  THE  SHIP  "    197 

"UPON    THIS    HE    PULLS    OUT    AN    OLD    POUCH  " 201 

"TWO    OF    THE    WOLVES    FLEW    UPON    THE    GUIDE" 205 

"'WHAT,    YOU    NO    COME    FARTHER?'"       ........    200, 

"THEY    CAME    ON    US    WITH    A    GROWLING    KIND    OF    A    NOISE  "  .  .  .  .212 


$art    KJL 


I    FARMED    UPON    MY    OWN    LAND 
"  IT    WAS    ALL    TO    NO    PURPOSE  " 
"THE    SHIP    BLEW    UP"    • 

"THE    MATE    BROUGHT    SIX    MEN    WITH    HIM  " 

"i    FOUND    THE    POOR    MEN    ON    BOARD    ALMOST    IN    A    TUMULT 
"  I    CAME    FAIR    ON    THE    SOUTH    SIDE    OF    MY    ISLAND  " 
"  '  DO    YOU    NOT    KNOW    ME  ?  '  "  .  .     ■ 

"BADE    THEM    STAND    OFF"       ..... 
"WITH    ONE    BLOW    OF    HIS    FIST    KNOCKED    HIM    DOWN 
"THEY    CAME    UP    IN    A    VERY    SUBMISSIVE,   HUMBLE    MANNER" 
"THEY    WERE    SURPRISED    WITH    SEEING    A    LIGHT" 
"INDIANS    JUST    COMING    ON    SHORE"  .... 

"  PLACED    HIMSELF    BETWEEN    HIM    AND    THE    SAVAGE  " 
"  THREE    STRANGE    MEN    COMING    TOWARDS    HIM  "       . 
"  DREW    LOTS    AMONG    THEM  ".  .  .  . 

"  THREE    SAVAGES    LEFT    BEHIND,  AND    LYING    FAST    ASLEEP 
"ALL    THEIR    HUTS    AND    HOUSEHOLD    STUFF    FLAMING    UP    TOGETHER" 
"CAME    RANGING    ALONG    THE    SHORE"      .... 
"DISPATCHED    THESE    POOR    CREATURES" 
"ATE    THEIR    PROVISIONS    VERY    THANKFULLY" 
"  IN    THIS    GREAT    BEE-HIVE    LIVED  THE    THREE    FAMILIES 
"WE    MADE    A    SPLENDID    FEAST  "       . 
"  MADE    EVERY    ONE    A    LIGHT    COAT 
"WE    WALKED    ON  " 
"MADE    ME    A    VERY    LOW    BOW  " 
"  THEY    ALL    CAME    TO    ME  "       . 
"  ATKINS    AND    HIS    TAWNY    WIFE 
"WE    CALLED    HIM    IN    ALONE  " 
"MADE    HER    KNEEL    BY    HIM  " 


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to  face  240 

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•  3°5 
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•  3*3 

•  3l6 

•  321 


Vlll 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


'  WE    MARRIED    THEM    THE    SAME    DAY  "     . 
'  I    HAVE    BROUGHT    YOU    AN    ASSISTANT  " 
'  GAVE    THEM    SUCH    A    BROADSIDE  " 
'GIVING    THEM    A    SALUTE    OF    FIVE    GUNS  " 
'KILLED    POOR    FRIDAY"  .... 

'  WE    GAVE    THEM    A    VOLLEY  "  .  .  . 

'THE    COW    WENT    ON    BEFORE    THEM"      . 
'HE    SHOWED    ME    THE    POOR    FELLOW    HANGING" 
'  COMES    TO    ME    ONE    DAY    AN    ENGLISHMAN  "    . 
'COULD    SEE    THE    BOATS    AT    A    DISTANCE" 
'THEY    HAULED    HER    SAIL"     .... 

"WELL    DONE,    JACK!     GIVE  THEM    SOME    MORE    OF    IT 
'A    BOAT    CAME    OFF"       ..... 

'  BROUGHT    ABUNDANCE    OF    THINGS    TO    SELL  " 

'  HE    CAME    TO    ME    WITH    ONE    OF    THE    MISSIONARY    PRIESTS  " 

'AS    SOON    AS    THEY    SAW    US,    ONE    OF    THEM    BLEW    A    KIND    OF    HORN 

'KILLED    THE    SECOND    WITH    HIS    PISTOL" 

'  TWO    OF    THEM    SEIZED    THE    FELLOW    AND    TOOK    THE    CAMEL  " 

'  SENT    THREE    MESSENGERS    TO    US  " 

'BROUGHT    US    IN    FINE    VENISON  "  ...... 

TAILPIECE         .........  ,  . 


324 
329 

to  face  329 
332 
336 
34  r 
344 
349 
356 
361 

364 
to  face  368 

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372 
380 
to  face  385 

389 
394 
403 
407 
,.  4.16 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


I  WAS  born  in  the  year  1632,  in  the  city  of  York,  of  a  good  family,  though  not 
of  that  country,  my  father  being  a  foreigner,  of  Bremen,  who  settled  first  at 
Hull :  he  got  a  good  estate  by  merchandise,  and  leaving  off  his  trade,  lived 
afterwards  at  York ;  from  whence  he  had  married  my  mother,  whose  relations  were 
named  Robinson,  a  very  good  family  in  *"hat  country,  and  from  whom  I  was  called 
Robinson  Kreutznaer  ;  but,  by  the  usual  corruption  of  words  in  England,  we  are  now 
called,  nay,  we  call  ourselves,  and  write  our  name,  Crusoe ;  and  so  my  companions 
always  called  me. 

I  had  two  elder  brothers,  one  of  whom  was  lieutenant-colonel  to  an  English 
regiment  of  foot  in  Flanders,  formerly  commanded  by  the  famous  Colonel  Lockhart, 
and  was  killed  at  the  battle  near  Dunkirk  against  the  Spaniards.  What  became  of 
my  second  brother  I  never  knew,  any  more  than  my  father  or  mother  did  know  what 
was  become  of  me. 

Being  the  third  son  of  the  family,  and  not  bred  to  any  trade,  my  head  began  to  be 
filled  very  early  with  rambling  thoughts  :  my  father,  who  was  very  ancient,  had  given 
me  a  competent  share  of  learning,  as  far  as  house-education  and  a  country  free-school 
generally  goes,  and  designed  me  for  the  law ;  but  I  would  be  satisfied  with  nothing 
but  going  to  sea ;  and  my  inclination  to  this  led  me  so  strongly  against  the  will,  nay, 
the  commands,  of  my  father,  and  against  all  the  entreaties  and  persuasions  of  my 
mother  and  other  friends,  that  there  seemed  to  be  something  fatal  in  that  propension 
of  nature,  tending  directly  to  the  life  of  misery  which  was  to  befall  me. 

My  father,  a  wise  and  grave  man,  gave  me  serious  and  excellent  counsel  against 
what  he  foresaw  was  my  design.  He  called  me  one  morning  into  his  chamber,  where 
he  was  confined  by  the  gout,  and  expostulated  very  warmly  with  me  upon  this  subject : 
he  asked  me  what  reasons,  more  than  a  mere  wandering  inclination,  I  had  for  leaving 


2  Robinson  Crusoe. 

my  father's  house  and  my  native  country,  where  I  might  be  well  introduced,  and  had 
a  prospect  of  raising  my  fortune  by  application  and  industry,  with  a  life  of  ease  and 
pleasure.  He  told  me  it  was  men  of  desperate  fortunes  on  one  hand,  or  of  aspiring, 
superior  fortunes  on  the  other,  who  went  abroad  upon  adventures,  to  rise  by  enterprise 
and  make  themselves  famous  in  undertakings  of  a  nature  out  of  the  common  road ; 
that  these  things  were  all  either  too  far  above  me  or  too  far  below  me  ;  that  mine  was 
the  middle  state,  or  what  might  be  called  the  upper  station  of  low  life,  which  he  had 
found  by  long  experience  was  the  best  state  in  the  world,  the  most  suited  to  human 
happiness,  not  exposed  to  the  miseries  and  hardships,  the  labor  and  sufferings  of  the 
mechanic  part  of  mankind,  and  not  embarrassed  with  the  pride,  luxury,  ambition,  and 
envy  of  the  upper  part  of  mankind.  He  told  me,  I  might  judge  of  the  happiness  of 
this  state  by  this  one  thing,  viz.,  that  this  was  the  state  of  life  which  all  other  people 
envied  ;  that  kings  have  frequently  lamented  the  miserable  consequence  of  being  born 
to  great  things,  and  wished  they  had  been  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  two  extremes, 
between  the  mean  and  the  great ;  that  the  wise  man  gave  his  testimony  to  this,  as  the 
just  standard  of  true  felicity,  when  he  prayed  to  have  neither  poverty  nor  riches. 

He  bade  me  observe  it,  and  I  should  always  find,  that  the  calamities  of  life  were 
shared  among  the  upper  and  lower  part  of  mankind ;  but  that  the  middle  station 
had  the  fewest  disasters,  and  was  not  exposed  to  so  many  vicissitudes  as  the  higher 
or  lower  part  of  mankind ;  nay,  they  were  not  subjected  to  so  many  distempers  and 
uneasiness,  either  of  body  or  mind,  as  those  were  who,  by  vicious  living,  luxury,  and 
extravagances  on  one  hand,  or  by  hard  labor,  want  of  necessaries,  and  mean  or 
insufficient  diet  on  the  other  hand,  bring  distempers  upon  themselves  by  the  natural 
consequences  of  their  way  of  living  ;  that  the  middle  station  of  life  was  calculated  for 
all  kind  of  virtues  and  all  kind  of  enjoyments ;  that  peace  and  plenty  were  the  hand- 
maids of  a  middle  fortune  ;  that  temperance,  moderation,  quietness,  health,  society,  all 
agreeable  diversions,  and  all  desirable  pleasures ,  were  the  blessings  attending  the 
middle  station  of  life ;  that  this  way  men  went  silently  and  smoothly  through  the 
world,  and  comfortably  out  of  it,  not  embarrassed  with  the  labors  of  the  hands  or  of 
the  head,  not  sold  to  a  life  of  slavery  for  daily  bread,  nor  harassed  with  perplexed 
circumstances,  which  rob  the  soul  of  peace,  and  the  body  of  rest ;  nor  enraged  with 
the  passion  of  envy,  or  the  secret  burning  lust  of  ambition  for  great  things ;  but,  in 
easy  circumstances,  sliding  gently  through  the  world,  and  sensibly  tasting  the  sweets 
of  living,  without  the  bitter ;  feeling  that  they  are  happy,  and  learning  by  every  day's 
experience  to  know  it  more  sensibly. 

After  this  he  pressed  me  earnestly,  and  in  the  most  affectionate  manner,  not  to 
play  the  young  man,  nor  to  precipitate  myself  into  miseries  which  nature,  and  the 
station  of  life  I  was  born  in,  seemed  to  have  provided  against ;  that  I  was  under  no 
necessity  of  seeking  my  bread ;  that  he  would  do  well  for  me,  and  endeavor  to 
enter  me  fairly  into  the  station  of  life  which  he  had  just  been  recommending  to  me ; 
and  that  if  I  was  not  very  easy  and  happy  in  the  world,  it  must  be  my  mere  fate  or 
fault  that  must  hinder  it ;  and  that  he  should  have  nothing  to  answer  for,  having  thus 
discharged  his  duty  in  warning  me  against  measures  which  he  knew  would  be  to  my 
hurt ;   in  a  word,  that  as  he  would  do  very  kind  things  for  me,  if  I  would  stay  and 


My  Father's  Advice.  3 

settle  at  home  as  he  directed,  so  he  would  not  have  so  much  hand  in  my  misfortunes 
as  to  give  me  any  encouragement  to  go  away ;  and  to  close  all,  he  told  me  I  had  my 
elder  brother  for  an  example,  to  whom  he  had  used  the  same  earnest  persuasions  to 
keep  him  from  going  into  the  Low  Country  wars,  but  could  not  prevail,  his  young 
desires  prompting  him  to  run  into  the  army,  where  he  was  killed ;  and  though  he  said 
he  would  not  cease  to  pray  for  me,  yet  he  would  venture  to  say  to  me,  that  if  I  did 
take  this  foolish  step,  God  would  not  bless  me,  and  I  should  have  leisure  hereafter  to 
reflect  upon  having  neglected  his  counsel,  when  there  might  be  none  to  assist  in  my 
recovery. 

I  observed  in  this  last  part  of  his  discourse,  which  was  truly  prophetic,  though  I 
suppose  my  father  did  not  know  it  to  be  so  himself — I  say,  I  observed  the  tears  run 
down  his  face  very  plentifully,  especially  when  he  spoke  of  my  brother  who  was 
killed  ;  and  that  when  he  spoke  of  my  having  leisure  to  repent,  and  none  to  assist  me, 
he  was  so  moved  that  he  broke  off  the  discourse,  and  told  me  his  heart  was  so  full 
he  could  say  no  more  to  me. 

I  was  sincerely  affected  with  this  discourse,  as  indeed  who  could  be  otherwise? 
and  I  resolved  not  to  think  of  going  abroad  any  more,  but  to  settle  at  home 
according  to  my  father's  desire.  But,  alas!  a  few  days  wore  it  all  off;  and,  in  short, 
to  prevent  any  of  my  father's  further  importunities,  in  a  few  weeks  after  I  resolved  to 
run  quite  away  from  him.  However,  I  did  not  act  quite  so  hastily  neither  as  the  first 
heat  of  my  resolution  prompted,  but  I  took  my  mother  at  a  time  when  I  thought  her  a 
little  more  pleasant  than  ordinary,  and  told  her  that  my  thoughts  were  so  entirely  bent 
upon  seeing  the  world,  that  I  should  never  settle  to  anything  with  resolution  enough 
to  go  through  with  it,  and  my  father  had  better  give  me  his  consent  than  force  me  to 
go  without  it ;  that  I  was  now  eighteen  years  old,  which  was  too  late  to  go  apprentice 
to  a  trade,  or  clerk  to  an  attorney ;  that  I  was  sure,  if  I  did,  I  should  never  serve  out 
my  time,  but  I  should  certainly  run  away  from  my  master  before  my  time  was  out,  and 
go  to  sea ;  and  if  she  would  speak  to  my  father  to  let  me  go  one  voyage  abroad,  if  I 
came  home  again,  and  did  not  like  it,  I  would  go  no  more,  and  I  would  promise,  by  a 
double  diligence,  to  recover  the  time  that  I  had  lost. 

This  put  my  mother  into  a  great  passion  ;  she  told  me  she  knew  it  would  be  to  no 
purpose  to  speak  to  my  father  upon  any  such  subject ;  that  he  knew  too  well  what 
was  my  interest  to  give  his  consent  to  anything  so  much  for  my  hurt ;  and  that  she 
wondered  how  I  could  think  of  any  such  thing  after  the  discourse  I  had  had  with  my 
father,  and  such  kind  and  tender  expressions  as  she  knew  my  father  had  used  to  me ; 
and  that,  in  short,  if  I  would  ruin  myself,  there  was  no  help  for  me ;  but  I  might 
depend  I  should  never  have  their  consent  to  it ;  that  for  her  part,  she  would  not  have 
so  much  hand  in  my  destruction ;  and  I  should  never  have  it  to  say  that  my  mother 
was  willing  when  my  father  was  not. 

Though  my  mother  refused  to  move  it  to  my  father,  yet  I  heard  afterwards  that  she 
reported  all  the  discourse  to  him,  and  that  my  father,  after  showing  a  great  concern 
at  it,  said  to  her  with  a  sigh :  "  That  boy  might  be  happy  if  he  would  stay  at  home ; 
but  if  he  goes  abroad,  he  will  be  the  most  miserable  wretch  that  ever  was  born ;  I 
can  give  no  consent  to  it." 


4  Robinson  Crusoe. 

It  was  not  till  almost  a  year  after  this  that  I  broke  loose,  though,  in  the  mean- 
time, I  continued  obstinately  deaf  to  all  proposals  of  settling  to  business,  and  fre- 
quently expostulated  with  my  father  and  mother  about  their  being  so  positively 
determined  against  what  they  knew  my  inclinations  prompted  me  to.  But  being  one 
day  at  Hull,  whither  I  went  casually,  and  without  any  purpose  of  making  an  elope- 
ment at  that  time — but  I  say,  being  there,  and  one  of  my  companions  being  going  by 
sea  to  London  in  his  father's  ship,  and  prompting  me  to  go  with  them,  with  the  common 
allurement  of  a  sea-faring  man,  that  it  should  cost  me  nothing  for  my  passage,  I  con- 
sulted neither  father  nor  mother  any  more,  nor  so  much  as  sent  them  word  of  it ;  but 
leaving  them  to  hear  of  it  as  they  might,  without  asking  God's  blessing,  or  my  father's, 
without  any  consideration  of  circumstances  or  consequences,  and  in  an  ill  hour,  God 
knows,  on  the  ist  of  September,  165 1,  I  went  on  board  a  ship  bound  for  London. 
Never  any  young  adventurer's  misfortunes,  I  believe,  began  sooner  or  continued 
longer  than  mine.  The  ship  was  no  sooner  got  out  of  the  Humber  than  the  wind 
began  to  blow,  and  the  sea  to  rise  in  a  most  frightful  manner ;  and,  as  I  had  never 
been  at  sea  before,.  I  was  most  inexpressibly  sick  in  body,  and  terrified  in  mind.  I 
began  now  seriously  to  reflect  upon  what  I  had  done,  and  how  justly  I  was  overtaken 
by  the  judgment  of  Heaven  for  my  wicked  leaving  my  father's  house,  and  abandoning 
my  duty.  All  the  good  counsels  of  my  parents,  my  father's  tears  and  my  mother's 
entreaties,  came  now  fresh  into  my  mind ;  and  my  conscience,  which  was  not  yet 
come  to  the  pitch  of  hardness  to  which  it  has  come  since,  reproached  me  with  the 
contempt  of  advice,  and  the  breach  of  my  duty  to  God  and  my  father. 

All  this  while  the  storm  increased,  and  the  sea  went  very  high,  though  nothing 
like  what  I  have  seen  many  times  since  ;  no,  nor  what  I  saw  a  few  days  after ;  but  it 
was  enough  to  affect  me  then,  who  was  but  a  young  sailor,  and  had  never  known 
anything  of  the  matter.  I  expected  every  wave  would  have  swallowed  us  up,  and  that 
every  time  the  ship  fell  down,  as  I  thought  it  did,  in  the  trough  or  hollow  of  the  sea, 
we  should  never  rise  more  :  in  this  agony  of  mind  I  made  many  vows  and  resolutions, 
that  if  it  would  please  God  to  spare  my  life  in  this  one  voyage,  if  ever  I  got  once  my 
foot  upon  dry  land  again,  I  would  go  directly  home  to  my  father,  and  never  set  it 
into  a  ship  again  while  I  lived ;  that  I  would  take  his  advice,  and  never  run  myself 
into  such  miseries  as  these  any  more.  Now  I  saw  plainly  the  goodness  of  his 
observations  about  the  middle  station  of  life,  how  easy,  how  comfortable  he  had  lived 
all  his  days,  and  never  had  been  exposed  to  tempests  at  sea,  or  troubles  on  shore ; 
and,  in  short,  I  resolved  that  I  would,  like  a  true  repenting  prodigal,  go  home 
to  my  father. 

These  wise  and  sober  thoughts  continued  all  the  while  the  storm  lasted,  and 
indeed  some  time  after ;  but  the  next  day  the  wind  was  abated,  and  the  sea  calmer, 
and  I  began  to  be  a  little  inured  to  it :  however,  I  was  very  grave  for  all  that  day, 
being  also  a  little  sea-sick  still ;  but  towards  night  the  weather  cleared  up,  the  wind 
was  quite  over,  and  a  charming  fine  evening  followed  ;  the  sun  went  down  perfectly 
clear,  and  rose  so  the  next  morning ;  and  having  little  or  no  wind,  and  a  smooth  sea, 
the  sun  shining  upon  it,  the  sight  was,  as  I  thought,  the  most  delightful  that  ever  I  saw. 

I  had  slept  well  in  the  night,  and  was  now  no  more  sea-sick,  but  very  cheerful, 


After  the  Storm.  5 

looking  with  wonder  upon  the  sea  that  was  so  rough  and  terrible  the  day  before,  anc} 
could  be  so  calm  and  so  pleasant  in  so  little  a  time  after.  And  now,  lest  my  good 
resolutions  should  continue,  my  companion  who  had  enticed  me  away  comes  to  me. 


"'you're  but  a  fresh-water  sailor '"  (/.  b). 


''Well,  Bob,"  says  he,  clapping  me  upon  the  shoulder,  "  how  do  you  do  after  it? 
I  warrant  you  were  frighted,  wer'n't  you,  last  night,  when  it  blew  but  a  capful  of 
wind?  " 

"A  capful  d'you  call  it?  "  said  I ;    "  'twas  a  terrible  storm." 

"A  storm,  you  fool,  you!"  replies  he;  "do  you  call  that  a  storm?  why,  it  was 
nothing  at  ail ;   give  us  but  a  good  ship  and  sea-room,  and  we  think  nothing  of  such  a 


6  Robinson  Crusoe. 

squall  of  wind  as  that ;  but  you're  but  a  fresh-water  sailor,  Bob.  Come,  let  us  make  a 
bowl  of  punch,  and  we'll  forget  all  that ;   d'ye  see  what  charming  weather  'tis  now?  " 

To  make  short  this  sad  part  of  my  story,  we  went  the  way  of  all  sailors ;  the  punch 
was  made,  and  I  was  made  half  drunk  with  it ;  and  in  that  one  night's  wickedness  I 
drowned  all  my  repentance,  all  my  reflections  upon  my  past  conduct,  all  my  resolutions 
for  the  future.  In  a  word,  as  the  sea  was  returned  to  its  smoothness  of  surface  and 
settled  calmness  by  the  abatement  of  that  storm,  so  the  hurry  of  my  thoughts  being 
over,  my  fears  and  apprehensions  of  being  swallowed  up  by  the  sea  being  forgotten, 
and  the  current  of  my  former  desires  returned,  I  entirely  forgot  the  vows  and  promises 
that  I  made  in  my  distress.  I  found,  indeed,  some  intervals  of  reflection ;  and  the 
serious  thoughts  did,  as  it  were,  endeavor  to  return  again  sometimes ;  but  I  shook 
them  off,  and  roused  myself  from  them  as  it  were  from  a  distemper,  and  applying 
myself  to  drinking  and  company,  soon  mastered  the  return  of  those  fits,  for  so  I  called 
them  ;  and  I  had,  in  five  or  six  days,  got  as  complete  a  victory  over  my  conscience  as 
any  young  fellow  that  resolved  not  to  be  troubled  with  it  could  desire.  But  I  was  to 
have  another  trial  for  it  still ;  and  Providence,  as  in  such  cases  generally  it  does, 
resolved  to  leave  me  entirely  without  excuse ;  for  if  I  would  not  take  this  for  a 
deliverance,  the  next  was  to  be  such  a  one  as  the  worst  and  most  hardened  wretch 
among  us  would  confess  both  the  danger  and  the  mercy. 

The  sixth  day  of  our  being  at  sea  we  came  into  Yarmouth  Roads  ;  the  wind  having 
been  contrary,  and  the  weather  calm,  we  had  made  but  little  way  since  the  storm. 
Here  we  were  obliged  to  come  to  an  anchor,  and  here  we  lay,  the  wind  continuing 
contrary,  viz.,  at  south-west,  for  seven  or  eight  days,  during  which  time  a  great  many 
ships  from  Newcastle  came  into  the  same  Roads,  as  the  common  harbor  where  the 
ships  might  wait  for  a  wind  for  the  river. 

We  had  not,  however,  rid  here  so  long  but  we  should  have  tided  it  up  the  river, 
but  that  the  wind  blew  too  fresh,  and,  after  we  had  lain  four  or  five  days,  blew  very 
hard.  However,  the  Roads  being  reckoned  as  good  as  an  harbor,  the  anchorage 
good,  and  our  ground-tackle  very  strong,  our  men  were  unconcerned,  and  not  in  the 
least  apprehensive  of  danger,  but  spent  the  time  in  rest  and  mirth,  after  the  manner  of 
the  sea ;  but  the  eighth  day,  in  the  morning,  the  wind  increased,  and  we  had  all  hands 
at  work  to  strike  our  top-masts,  and  make  everything  snug  and  close,  that  the  ship 
might  ride  as  easy  as  possible.  By  noon  the  sea  went  very  high  indeed,  and  our  ship 
rode  forecastle  in,  shipped  several  seas,  and  we  thought  once  or  twice  our  anchor  had 
come  home ;  upon  which  our  master  ordered  out  the  sheet-anchor,  so  that  we  rode 
with  two  anchors  ahead,  and  the  cables  veered  out  to  the  better  end. 

By  this  time  it  blew  a  terrible  storm  indeed ;  and  now  I  began  to  see  terror  and 
amazement  in  the  faces  even  of  the  seamen  themselves.  The  -master,  though  vigilant 
in  the  business  of  preserving  the  ship,  yet  as  he  went  in  and  out  of  his  cabin  by  me, 
I  could  hear  him  softly  to  himself  say,  several  times,  "  Lord,  be  merciful  to  us!  we 
shall  be  all  lost!  we  shall  be  all  undone!"  and  the  like.  During  these  first  hurries  I 
was  stupid,  lying  still  in  my  cabin,  which  was  in  the  steerage,  and  cannot  describe  my 
temper.  I  could  ill  resume  the  first  penitence,  which  I  had  so  apparently  trampled 
upon,  and  hardened  myself  against :   I  thought  the  bitterness  of  death  had  been  past, 


The  Storm  in  Yarmouth  Roads.  7 

and  that  this  would  be  nothing  too,  like  the  first ;  but  when  the  master  himself  came 
by  me,  as  I  said  just  now,  and  said  we  should  be  all  lost,  I  was  dreadfully  frighted.  I 
got  up  out  of  my  cabin,  and  looked  out ;  but  such  a  dismal  sight  I  never  saw ;  the 
sea  ran  mountains  high,  and  broke  upon  us  every  three  or  four  minutes.  When 
I  could  look  about,  I  could  see  nothing  but  distress  round  us  ;  two  ships  that  rode  near 
us,  we  found,  had  cut  their  masts  by  the  board,  being  deep-laden  ;  and  our  men  cried 
out  that  a  ship  which  rode  about  a  mile  ahead  of  us  was  foundered.  Two  more  ships, 
being  driven  from  their  anchors,  were  run  out  of  the  Roads  to  sea,  at  all  adventures, 
and  that  not  with  a  mast  standing.  The  light  ships  fared  the  best,  as  not  so  much 
laboring  in  the  sea ;  but  two  or  three  of  them  drove,  and  came  close  by  us,  running 
away  with  only  their  spritsail  out  before  the  wind. 

Towards  evening  the  mate  and  boatswain  begged  the  master  of  our  ship  to  let  them 
cut  away  the  foremast,  which  he  was  very  unwilling  to  do ;  but  the  boatswain 
protesting  to  him  that  if  he  did  not  the  ship  would  founder,  he  consented ;  and  when 
they  had  cut  away  the  foremast,  the  mainmast  stood  so  loose,  and  shook  the  ship  so 
much,  they  were  obliged  to  cut  that  away  also,  and  make  a  clear  deck. 

And  one  must  judge  what  a  condition  I  must  be  in  at  all  this,  who  was  but  a  young 
sailor,  and  who  had  been  in  such  a  fright  before  at  but  a  little.  But  if  I  can  express 
at  this  distance  the  thoughts  I  had  about  me  at  that  time,  I  was  in  tenfold  more  horror 
of  mind  upon  account  of  my  former  convictions,  and  the  having  returned  from  them  to 
the  resolutions  I  had  wickedly  taken  at  first,  than  I  was  at  death  itself ;  and  these, 
added  to  the  terror  of  the  storm,  put  me  into  such  a  condition,  that  I  can  by  no  words 
describe  it.  But  the  worst  was  not  come  yet ;  the  storm  continued  with  such  fury, 
that  the  seamen  themselves  acknowledged  they  had  never  seen  a  worse.  We  had  a 
good  ship,  but  she  was  deep-laden,  and  wallowed  in  the  sea,  so  that  the  seamen  every 
now  and  then  cried  out  she  would  founder.  It  was  my  advantage,  in  one  respect, 
that  I  did  not  know  what  they  meant  by  founder,  till  I  inquired.  However,  the  storm 
was  so  violent  that  I  saw,  what  is  not  often  seen,  the  master,  the  boatswain,  and  some 
others  more  sensible  than  the  rest,  at  their  prayers,  and  expecting  every  moment  when 
the  ship  would  go  to  the  bottom.  In  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  under  all  the  rest  of 
our  distresses,  one  of  the  men  that  had  been  down  to  see,  cried  out  we  had  sprung  a 
leak  ;  another  said  there  was  four  feet  water  in  the  hold.  Then  all  hands  were  called 
to  the  pump.  At  that  word,  my  heart,  as  I  thought,  died  within  me  ;  and  I  fell  back- 
wards upon  the  side  of  my  bed,  where  I  sat,  into  the  cabin.  However,  the  men 
roused  me,  and  told  me  that  I,  that  was  able  to  do  nothing  before,  was  as  well  able 
to  pump  as  another ;  at  which  I  stirred  up,  and  went  to  the  pump,  and  worked  very 
heartily.  While  this  was  doing,  the  master  seeing  some  light  colliers  who,  not 
able  to  ride  out  the  storm,  were  obliged  to  slip  and  run  away  to  the  sea,  and  would 
come  near  us,  ordered  to  fire  a  gun  as  a  signal  of  distress.  I,  who  knew  nothing  what 
they  meant,  thought  the  ship  had  broken,  or  some  dreadful  thing  happened.  In  a 
word,  I  was  so  surprised  that  I  fell  down  in  a  swoon.  As  this  was  a  time  when  every- 
body had  his  own  life  to  think  of,  nobody  minded  me,  or  what  was  become  of  me ; 
but  another  man  stepped  up  to  the  pump,  and  thrusting  me  aside  with  his  foot,  let  me 
lie,  thinking  I  had  been  dead ;  and  it  was  a  great  while  before  I  came  to  myself. 


g 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


We  worked  on  ;  but  the  water  increasing  in  the  hold,  it  was  apparent  that  the  ship 
would  founder  ;  and  though  the  storm  began  to  abate  a  little,  yet  as  it  was  not  possible 
she  could  swim  till  we  might  run  into  any  port,  so  the  master  continued  firing  guns  for 
help  ;   and  a  light  ship,  who  had  rid  it  out  just  ahead  of  us,  ventured  a  boat  out  to  help 


WE    WALKED    ON    FOOT    TO 
YARMOUTH  "    (p.  9). 


us.  It  was  with  the  utmost  hazard  the  boat  came  near  us  ;  but  it  was  impossible  for 
us  to  get  on  board  or  for  the  boat  to  lie  near  the  ship's  side,  till  at  last  the  men  rowing 
very  heartily,  and  venturing  their  lives  to  save  ours,  our  men  cast  them  a  rope  over  the 
stern  with  a  buoy  to  it,  and  then  veered  it  out  a  great  length,  which  they,  after  much 
labor  and  hazard,  took  hold  of,  and  we  hauled  them  close  under  our  stern,  and  got  all 
into  their  boat.     It  was  to  no  purpose  for  them  or  us,  after  we  were  in  the  boat,  to 


My  Obstinacy.  g 

think  of  reaching  to  their  own  ship  ;  so  all  agreed  to  let  her  drive,  and  only  to  pull  her 
in  towards  shore  as  much  as  we  could ;  and  our  master  promised  them  that  if  the 
boat  was  staved  upon  shore,  he  would  make  it  good  to  their  master :  so  partly  rowing, 
and  partly  driving,  our  boat  went  away  to  the  northward,  sloping  towards  the  shore 
almost  as  far  as  Winterton  Ness. 

We  were  not  much  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  out  of  our  ship  till  we  saw  her 
sink,  and  then  I  understood  for  the  first  time  what  was  meant  by  a  ship  foundering  in 
the  sea.  I  must  acknowledge  I  had  hardly  eyes  to  look  up  when  the  seamen  told  me 
she  was  sinking ;  for  from  the  moment  that  they  rather  put  me  into  the  boat,  than 
that  I  might  be  said  to  go  in,  my  heart  was,  as  it  were,  dead  within  me,  partly  with 
fright,  partly  with  horror  of  mind,  and  the  thoughts  of  what  was  yet  before  me. 

While  we  were  in  this  condition,  the  men  yet  laboring  at  the  oar  to  bring  the 
boat  near  the  shore,  we  could  see  (when,  our  boat  mounting  the  waves,  we  were 
able  to  see  the  shore)  a  great  many  people  running  along  the  strand,  to  assist  us 
when  we  should  come  near ;  but  we  made  but  slow  way  towards  the  shore  ;  nor  were 
we  able  to  reach  the  shore  till,  being  past  the  lighthouse  at  Winterton,  the  shore 
falls  off  to  the  westward,  towards  Cromer,  and  so  the  land  broke  off  a  little  the  violence 
of  the  wind.  Here  we  got  in,  and,  though  not  without  much  difficulty,  got  all  safe  on 
shore,  and  walked  afterwards  on  foot  to  Yarmouth,  where,  as  unfortunate  men,  we  were 
used  with  great  humanity,  as  well  by  the  magistrates  of  the  town,  who  assigned  us  good 
quarters,  as  by  particular  merchants  and  owners  of  ships,  and  had  money  given  us 
sufficient  to  carry  us  either  to  London  or  back  to  Hull,  as  we  thought  fit. 

Had  I  now  had  the  sense  to  have  gone  back  to  Hull,  and  have  gone  home,  I  had 
been  happy,  and  my  father,  an  emblem  of  our  blessed  Saviour's  parable,  had  even 
killed  the  fatted  calf  for  me ;  for  hearing  the  ship  I  went  away  in  was  cast  away  in 
Yarmouth  Roads,  it  was  a  great  while  before  he  had  any  assurances  that  I  was  not 
drowned. 

But  my  ill  fate  pushed  me  on  now  with  an  obstinacy  that  nothing  could  resist ;  and 
though  I  had  several  times  loud  calls  from  my  reason,  and  my  more  composed 
judgment,  to  go  home,  yet  I  had  no  power  to  do  it.  I  know  not  what  to  call  this, 
nor  will  I  urge  that  it  is  a  secret  overruling  decree  that  hurries  us  on  to  be  the 
instruments  of  our  own  destruction,  even  though  it  be  before  us,  and  that  we  rush 
upon  it  with  our  eyes  open.  Certainly,  nothing  but  some  such  decreed  unavoidable 
misery  attending,  and  which  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  escape,  could  have  pushed  me 
forward  against  the  calm  reasonings  and  persuasions  of  my  most  retired  thoughts,  and 
against  two  such  visible  obstructions  as  I  had  met  with  in  my  first  attempt. 

My  comrade,  who  had  helped  to  harden  me  before,  and  who  was  the  master's 
son,  was  now  less  forward  than  I.  The  first  time  he  spoke  to  me  after  we  were  at 
Yarmouth,  which  was  not  till  two  or  three  days,  for  we  were  separated  in  the  town  to 
several  quarters — I  say,  the  first  time  he  saw  me,  it  appeared  his  tone  was  altered ; 
and  looking  very  melancholy,  and  shaking  his  head,  he  asked  me  how  I  did,  and 
telling  his  father  who  I  was,  and  how  I  had  come  this  voyage  only  for  a  trial,  in  order 
to  go  farther  abroad  :  his  father  turning  to  me  with  a  very  grave  and  concerned  tone, 
"  Young  man,"  says  he,  "  you  ought  never  to  go  to  sea  any  more ;   you  ought  to  take 


10  Rob  ins  oat  Crusoe. 

this  for  a  plain  and  visible  token  that  you  are  not  to  be  a  sea-faring  man."  "  Why_ 
sir,"  said  I,  "  will  you  go  to  sea  no  more?  "  "  That  is  another  case,"  said  he  ;  "  it  is 
my  calling,  and  therefore  my  duty ;  but  as  you  made  this  voyage  for  a  trial,  you  see 
what  a  taste  Heaven  has  given  you  of  what  you  are  to  expect  if  you  persist.  Perhaps 
this  has  all  befallen  us  on  your  account,  like  Jonah  in  the  ship  of  Tarshish.  Pray," 
continues  he,  "  what  are  you ;  and  on  what  account  did  you  go  to  sea?  "  Upon  that 
I  told  him  some  of  my  story ;  at  the  end  of  which  he  burst  out  into  a  strange  kind  of 
passion :  "  What  had  I  done,"  says  he,  "  that  such  an  unhappy  wretch  should  come 
into  my  ship?  I  would  not  set  my  foot  in  the  same  ship  with  thee  again  for  a 
thousand  pounds."  This  indeed  was,  as  I  said,  an  excursion  of  his  spirits,  which  were 
yet  agitated  by  the  sense  of  his  loss,  and  was  farther  than  he  could  have  authority  to 
go.  However,  he  afterwards  talked  very  gravely  to  me,  exhorting  me  to  go  back  to 
my  father,  and  not  tempt  Providence  to  my  ruin  ;  telling  me  I  might  see  a  visible  hand 
of  Heaven  against  me.  "  And,  young  man,"  said  he,  "  depend  upon  it,  if  you  do  not 
go  back,  wherever  you  go,  you  will  meet  with  nothing  but  disasters  and  disappoint- 
ments, till  your  father's  words  are  fulfilled  upon  you." 

We  parted  soon  after,  for  I  made  him  little  answer,  and  I  saw  him  no  more  ;  which 
way  he  went  I  know  not.  As  for  me,  having  some  money  in  my  pocket,  I  traveled  to 
London  by  land ;  and  there,  as  well  as  on  the  road,  had  many  struggles  with  myself 
what  course  of  life  I  should  take,  and  whether  I  should  go  home  or  go  to  sea. 

As  to  going  home,  shame  opposed  the  best  motions  that  offered  to  my  thoughts ; 
and  it  immediately  occurred  to  me  how  I  should  be  laughed  at  among  the  neighbors, 
and  should  be  ashamed  to  see,  not  my  father  and  mother  only,  but  even  everybody 
else ;  from  whence  I  have  often  since  observed  how  incongruous  and  irrational  the 
common  temper  of  mankind  is,  especially  of  youth,  to  that  reason  which  ought  to 
guide  them  in  such  cases,  viz.,  that  they  are  not  ashamed  to  sin,  and  yet  are  ashamed 
to  repent ;  not  ashamed  of  the  action  for  which  they  ought  justly  to  be  esteemed  fools, 
but  are  ashamed  of  the  returning  which  only  can  make  them  be  esteemed  wise  men. 

In  this  state  of  life,  however,  I  remained  some  time,  uncertain  what  measures  to 
take,  and  what  course  of  life  to  lead.  An  irresistible  reluctance  continued  to  going 
home ;  and  as  I  stayed  awhile,  the  remembrance  of  the  distress  I  had  been  in  wore 
off ;  and  as  that  abated,  the  little  motion  I  had  in  my  desires  to  a  return  wore  off  with 
it,  till  at  last  I  quite  laid  aside  the  thoughts  of  it,  and  looked  out  for  a  voyage. 

That  evil  influence  which  carried  me  first  away  from  my  father's  house,  which 
hurried  me  into  the  wild  and  undigested  notion  of  raising  my  fortune ;  and  that 
impressed  those  conceits  so  forcibly  upon  me,  as  to  make  me  deaf  to  all  good  advice, 
and  to  the  entreaties  and  even  the  commands  of  my  father — I  say,  the  same  influence, 
whatever  it  was,  presented  the  most  unfortunate  of  all  enterprises  to  my  view ;  and  I 
went  on  board  a  vessel  bound  to  the  coast  of  Africa ;  or,  as  our  sailors  vulgarly  call 
it,  a  voyage  to  Guinea.* 

*  Guinea. — A  district  of  that  part  of  the  West  Coast  of  Africa  where  the  land  runs  nearly  due 
east  and  west.  The  six  countries  into  which  it  is  divided  are  known  to  sailors  under  the  names 
of  Sierra  Leone,  Grain  Coast,  Ivory  Coast,  Gold  Coast,  Slave  Coast,  and  Benin. 


A    Voyage  to  Guinea.  ii 

It  was  my  great  misfortune  that  in  all  these  adventures  I  did  not  ship  myself  as  a 
sailor  ;  when,  though  I  might  indeed  have  worked  a  little  harder  than  ordinary,  yet  at 
the  same  time  I  should  have  learned  the  duty  and  office  of  a  foremast  man,  and  in  time 
might  have  qualified  myself  for  a  mate  or  lieutenant,  if  not  for  a  master.  But  as  it 
was  always  my  fate  to  choose  for  the  worst,  so  I  did  here ;  for  having  money  in  my 
pocket,  and  good  clothes  upon  my  back,  I  would  always  go  on  board  in  the  habit  of  a 
gentleman ;   and  so  I  neither  had  any  business  in  the  ship  nor  learned  to  do  any. 

It  was  my  lot  first  of  all  to  fall  into  pretty  good  company  in  London,  which  does 
not  always  happen  to  such  loose  and  misguided  young  fellows  as  I  then  was ;  the  devil 
generally  not  omitting  to  lay  some  snare  for  them  very  early ;  but  it  was  not  so  with 
me.  I  first  got  acquainted  with  the  master  of  a  ship  who  had  been  on  the  coast  of 
Guinea ;  and  who,  having  had  very  good  success  there,  was  resolved  to  go  again  ;  this 
captain  taking  a  fancy  to  my  conversation,  which  was  not  at  all  disagreeable  at  that 
time,  hearing  me  say  I  had  a  mind  to  see  the  world,  told  me  if  I  would  go  the  voyage 
with  him,  I  should  be  at  no  expense ;  I  should  be  his  messmate  and  his  companion ; 
and  if  I  could  carry  anything  with  me,  I  should  have  all  the  advantage  of  it  that  the 
trade  would  admit ;   and  perhaps  I  might  meet  with  some  encouragement. 

I  embraced  the  offer ;  and  entering  into  a  strict  friendship  with  this  captain,  who 
was  an  honest,  plain-dealing  man,  I  went  the  voyage  with  him,  and  carried  a  small 
adventure  with  me,  which,  by  the  disinterested  honesty  of  my  friend  the  captain,  I 
increased  very  considerably ;  for  I  earned  about  ,£40  in  such  toys  and  trifles  as  the 
captain  directed  me  to  buy.  This  ^40  I  had  mustered  together  by  the  assistance  of 
some  of  my  relations  whom  I  corresponded  with,  and  who,  I  believe,  got  my  father,  or 
at  least  my  mother,  to  contribute  so  much  as  that  to  my  first  adventure. 

This  was  the  only  voyage  which  I  may  say  was  successful  in  all  my  adventures,  and 
which  I  owe  to  the  integrity  and  honesty  of  my  friend  the  captain  ;  under  whom  also  I 
got  a  competent  knowledge  of  the  mathematics  and  the  rules  of  navigation,  learned 
how  to  keep  an  account  of  the  ship's  course,  take  an  observation,  and,  in  short,  to 
understand  some  things  that  were  needful  to  be  understood  by  a  sailor ;  for,  as  he 
took  delight  to  instruct  me,  I  took  delight  to  learn  ;  and,  in  a  word,  this  voyage  made 
me  both  a  sailor  and  a  merchant ;  for  I  brought  home  five  pounds  nine  ounces  of 
gold-dust  for  my  adventure,  which  yielded  me  in  London,  at  my  return,  almost 
^300  ;  and  this  filled  me  with  those  aspiring  thoughts  which  have  since  so  completed 
my  ruin. 

Yet  even  in  this  voyage  I  had  my  misfortunes  too ;  particularly,  that  I  was  con- 
tinually sick,  being  thrown  into  a  violent  calenture  by  the  excessive  heat  of  the  climate  ; 
our  principal  trading  being  upon  the  coast,  from  the  latitude  of  fifteen  degrees  north, 
even  to  the  line  itself. 

I  was  now  set  up  for  a  Guinea  trader ;  and  my  friend,  to  my  great  misfortune, 
dying  soon  after  his  arrival,  I  resolved  to  go  the  same  voyage  again,  and  I  embarked 
in  the  same  vessel  with  one  who  was  his  mate  in  the  former  voyage,  and  had  now  got 
the  command  of  the  ship.  This  was  the  unhappiest  voyage  that  ever  man  made  ;  for 
though  I  did  not  carry  quite  ^100  of  my  new-gained  wealth,  so  that  I  had  ^200  left 
which  I  had  lodged  with  my  friend's  widow,  who  was  very  just  to  me,  yet  I  fell  into 


12 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


-m--m^s&m 


m-^:. 


SURPRISED    IN    THE    GRAY    OF    THE 
MORNING." 


terrible  misfortunes  in  this  voyage ;  and  the  first  was  this,  viz.,  our  ship  making  her 
course  towards  the  Canary  Islands,  or  rather  between  those  islands  and  the  African 
shore,  was  surprised  in  the  gray  of  the  morning  by  a  Moorish  rover  of  Sallee,  who  gave 
chase  to  us  with  all  the  sail  she  could  make.  We  crowded  also  as  much  canvas  as  our 
yards  would  spread,  or  our  masts  carry,  to  have  got  clear ;  but  finding  the  pirate 
gained  upon  us,  and  would  certainly  come  up  with  us  in  a  few  hours,  we  prepared  to 
fight ;  our  ship  having  twelve  guns,  and  the  rogue  eighteen.  About  three  in  the 
afternoon  he  came  up  with  us,  and  bringing-io,  by  mistake,  just  athwart  our  quarter, 
instead  of  athwart  our  stern  as  he  intended,  we  brought  eight  of  our  guns  to  bear  on 
that  side,  and  poured  in  a  broadside  upon  him,  which  made  him  sheer  off  again,  after 
returning  our  fire,  and  pouring  in  also  his  small  shot  from  near  two  hundred  men 
which  he  had  on  board.  However,  we  had  not  a  man  touched,  all  our  men  keeping 
close.  He  prepared  to  attack  us  again,  and  we  to  defend  ourselves  ;  but  laying  us  on 
board  the  next  time  upon  our  other  quarter,  he  entered  sixty  men  upon  our  decks, 
who  immediately  fell  to  cutting  and  hacking  the  sails  and  rigging.  We  plied  them 
with  small  shot,  half -pikes,  powder-chests,  and  such  like,  and  cleared  our  deck  of  them 
twice.  However,  to  cut  short  this  melancholy  part  of  our  story,  our  ship  being 
disabled,  and  three  of  our  men  killed,  and  eight  wounded,  we  were  obliged  to  yield, 
and  were  carried  all  prisoners  into  Sallee,  a  port  belonging  to  the  Moors. 

The  usage  I  had  there  was  not  so  dreadful  as  at  first  I  apprehended ;  nor  was 
I  carried  up  the  country  to  the  Emperor's  court,  as  the  rest  of  our  men  were,  but  was 
kept  by  the  captain  of  the  rover  as  his  proper  prize,  and  made  his  slave,  being  young 


Prisoner  at  Sallee. 


13 


and  nimble,  and  fit  for  his  business.  At  this  surprising  change  of  my  circumstances 
from  a  merchant  to  a  miserable  slave,  I  was  perfectly  overwhelmed  ;  and  now  I  looked 
back  upon  my  father's  prophetic  discourse  to  me,  that  I  should  be  miserable  and  have 
none  to  relieve  me ;  which  I  thought  was  now  so  effectually  brought  to  pass,  that  I 
could  not  be  worse  ;  for  now  the  hand  of  Heaven  had  overtaken  me,  and  I  was  un- 
done without  redemption.  But,  alas!  this  was  but  a  taste  of  the  misery  I  was  to  go 
through,  as  will  appear  in  the  sequel  of  this  story. 

As  my  new  patron,  or  master,  had  taken  me  home  to  his  house,  so  I  was  in  hopes 
that  he  would  take  me  with  him  when  he  went  to  sea  again,  believing  that  it  would  some 
time  or  other  be  his  fate  to  be  taken  by  a  Spanish  or  Portuguese  man-of-war ;  and 
that  then  I  should  be  set  at  liberty.  But  this  hope  of  mine  was  soon  taken  away ; 
for  when  he  went  to  sea,  he  left  me  on  shore  to  look  after  his  little  garden,  and  do 
the  common  drudgery  of  slaves  about  his  house  ;  and  when  he  came  home  again  from 
his  cruise,  he  ordered  me  to  lie  in  the  cabin  to  look  after  the  ship. 

Here  I  meditated  nothing  but  my  escape,  and  what  method  I  might  take  to 
effect  it ;  but  found  no  way  that  had  the  least  probability  in  it ;  nothing  presented 
to  make  the  supposition  of  it  rational  •  for  I  had  nobody  to  communicate  it  to  that 
would  embark  with  me  ;  no  fellow-slave,  no  Englishman,  Irishman,  or  Scotsman  there 
but  myself  ;  so  that  for  two  years,  though  I  often  pleased  myself  with  the  imagination, 
yet  I  never  had  the  least  encouraging  prospect  of  putting  it  in  practice. 

After  about  two  years,  an  odd  circumstance  presented  itself,  which  put  the  old 
thought  of  making  some  attempt  for  my  liberty  again  in  my  head.  My  patron  lying 
at  home  longer  than  usual  without 
fitting  out  his  ship,  which,  as  I 
heard,  was  for  want  of  money,  he 
used  constantly,  once  or  twice  a 
week,  sometimes  oftener,  if  the 
weather  was  fair,  to  take  the 
ship's  pinnace,  and  go  out  into 
the  road  a-fishing ;  and  as  he 
always  took  me  and  a  young 
Moresco  with  him  to  row  the  boat, 
we  made  him  very  merry,  and  I 
proved  very  dexterous  in  catching 
fish  ;  insomuch  that  sometimes  he 
would  send  me  with  a  Moor,  one 
of  his  kinsmen,  and  the  youth,  the 
Moresco,  as  they  called  him,  to 
catch  a  dish  of  fish  for  him. 

It  happened  one  time  that, 
going  a-fishing  with  him  in  a  calm 
morning,  a  fog  rose  so  thick,  that 
though  we  were  not  half  a  league 
from   the  shore,   we  lost  sight  of  "  1  proved  very  dexterous.' 


14  Robinson  Crusoe. 

it ;  and  rowing  we  knew  not  whither  or  which  way,  we  labored  all  day,  and  all  the 
next  night ;  and  when  the  morning  came,  we  found  we  had  pulled  out  to  sea  instead 
of  pulling  in  for  the  shore ;  and  that  we  were  at  least  two  leagues  from  the  land. 
However,  we  got  well  in  again,  though  with  a  great  deal  of  labor,  and  some  danger ; 
for  the  wind  began  to  blow  pretty  fresh  in  the  morning ;  but  particularly  we  were  all 
very  hungry. 

But  our  patron,  warned  by  this  disaster,  resolved  to  take  more  care  of  himself 
for  the  future ;  and  having  lying  by  him  the  long-boat  of  our  English  ship  which  he 
had  taken,  he  resolved  he  would  not  go  a-fishing  any  more  without  a  compass  and 
some  provision ;  so  he  ordered  the  carpenter  of  his  ship,  who  also  was  an  English 
slave,  to  build  a  little  state-room,  or  cabin,  in  the  middle  of  the  long-boat,  like  that  or 
a  barge,  with  a  place  to  stand  behind  it  to  steer,  and  haul  home  the  main-sheet ;  and 
room  before  for  a  hand  or  two  to  stand  and  work  the  sails.  She  sailed  with  what  we 
call  a  shoulder-of-mutton  sail ;  and  the  boom  jibbed  over  the  top  of  the  cabin,  which 
lay  very  snug  and  low,  and  had  in  it  room  for  him  to  lie,  with  a  slave  or  two,  and  a 
table  to  eat  on,  with  some  small  lockers  to  put  in  some  bottles  of  such  liquor  as  he 
thought  fit  to  drink ;    and  particularly  his  bread,  rice,  and  coffee. 

We  went  frequently  out  with  this  boat  a-fishing ;  and  as  I  was  most  dexterous  to 
catch  fish  for  him,  he  never  went  without  me.  It  happened  that  he  had  appointed 
to  go  out  in  this  boat,  either  for  pleasure  or  for  fish,  with  two  or  three  Moors  of 
some  distinction  in  that  place,  and  for  whom  he  had  provided  extraordinarily,  and  had 
therefore  sent  on  board  the  boat  over-night  a  larger  store  of  provisions  than  usual ; 
and  had  ordered  me  to  get  ready  three  fusils  *  with  powder  and  shot,  which  were  on 
board  his  ship,  for  that  they  designed  some  sport  of  fowling  as  well  as  fishing. 

I  got  all  things  ready  as  he  had  directed ;  and  waited  the  next  morning  with 
the  boat  washed  clean,  her  ancient  t  and  pendants  out,  and  everything  to  accommo- 
date his  guests ;  when  by  and  by  my  patron  came  on  board  alone,  and  told  me  his 
guests  had  put  off  going,  from  some  business  that  fell  out,  and  ordered  me,  with 
the  man  and  boy,  as  usual,  to  go  out  with  the  boat  and  catch  them  some  fish ;  fo: 
that  his  friends  were  to  sup  at  his  house  ;  he  commanded  me,  too,  that  as  soon  as  I  had 
got  some  fish,  I  should  bring  it  home  to  his  house :   all  which  I  prepared  to  do. 

This  moment,  my  former  notions  of  deliverance  darted  into  my  thoughts,  for  now 
I  found  I  was  likely  to  have  a  little  ship  at  my  command  ;  and  my  master  being  gone, 
I  prepared  to  furnish  myself,  not  for  fishing  business,  but  for  a  voyage  ;  though  I  knew 
not,  neither  did  I  so  much  as  consider,  whither  I  would  steer ;  for  anywhere  to  get 
out  of  that  place  was  my  desire. 

My  first  contrivance  was  to  make  a  pretense  to  speak  to  this  Moor,  to  get  something 
for  our  subsistence  on  board ;  for  I  told  him  we  must  not  presume  to  eat  of  our 
patron's  bread.  He  said,  that  was  true ;  so  he  brought  a  large  basket  of  rusk  or 
biscuit  of  their  kind,  and  three  jars  with  fresh  water,  into  the  boat.  I  knew  where  my 
patron's  case  of  bottles  stood,  which  it  was  evident,  by  the  make,  were  taken  out  of 

*  Fusil,  a  French  word,  meaning  a  light  musket  or  firelock. 

t  Ancient,  the  old  word,  derived  from  the  French  enseigne,  for  a  flag,  or  th^  man  who  carries  it. 


My  Escape.  15 

some  English  prize,  and  I  conveyed  them  into  the  boat  while  the  Moor  was  on 
shore,  as  if  they  had  been  there  before  for  our  master.  I  conveyed  also  a  great  lump  of 
beeswax-  into  the  boat,  which  weighed  about  half  an  hundredweight,  with  a  parcel  of 
twine  or  thread,  a  hatchet,  a  saw,  and  a  hammer,  all  of  which  were  of  great  use  to 
us  afterwards,  especially  the  wax  to  make  candles.  Another  trick  I  tried  upon  him 
which  he  innocently  came  into  also :  his  name  was  Ismael,  which  they  call  Muley, 
or  Moely ;  so  I  called  to  him :  "  Moely,"  said  I,  "  our  patron's  guns  are  all  on  board 
the  boat;  can  you  not  get  a  little  powder  and  shot?  It  may  be  we  may  kill  some 
alcamies"  (a  fowl  like  our  curlews)  "  for  ourselves,  for  I  know  he  keeps  the  gunner's 
stores  in  the  ship."  "Yes,"  says  he,  "I'll  bring  some:  "  accordingly,  he  brought  a 
great  leather  pouch,  which  held  about  a  pound  and  a  half  of  powder,  or  rather  more ; 
and  another  with  shot,  that  had  five  or  six  pounds,  with  some  bullets,  and  put  all  into 
the  boat.  At  the  same  time,  I  had  found  some  powder  of  my  master's  in  the  great 
cabin,  with  which  I  filled  one  of  the  large  bottles  in  the  case,  which  was  almost  empty, 
pouring  what  was  in  it  into  another ;  and  thus  furnished  with  everything  needful,  we 
sailed  out  of  the  port  to  fish.  The  castle,  which  is  at  the  entrance  of  the  port,  knew 
who  we  were,  and  took  no  notice  of  us ;  and  we  were  not  above  a  mile  out  of  the 
port  before  we  hauled  in  our  sail,  and  sat  us  down  to  fish.  The  wind  blew  from  the 
N.N.E.,  which  was  contrary  to  my  desire  ;  for  had  it  blown  southerly,  I  had  been  sure 
to  have  made  the  coast  of  Spain,  and  at  least  reached  to  the  bay  of  Cadiz ;  but  my 
resolutions  were,  blow  which  way  it  would,  I  would  be  gone  from  that  horrid  place 
where  I  was,  and  leave  the  rest  to  fate. 

After  we  had  fished  some  time  and  caught  nothing,  for  when  I  had  fish  on  my 
hook  I  would  not  pull  them  up,  that  he  might  not  see  them,  I  said  to  the  Moor, 
"  This  will  not  do  ;  our  master  will  not  be  thus  served  ;  we  must  stand  farther  off." 
He,  thinking  no  harm,  agreed,  and,  being  in  the  head  of  the  boat,  set  the  sails ;  and, 
as  I  had  the  helm,  I  ran  the  boat  out  near  a  league  farther,  and  then  brought  her  to 
as  if  I  would  fish ;  when,  giving  the  boy  the  helm,  I  stepped  forward  to  where  the 
Moor  was,  and  making  as  if  I  stooped  for  something  behind  him,  I  took  him  by 
surprise  with  my  arm  under  his  waist,  and  tossed  him  clear  overboard  into  the  sea. 
He  rose  immediately,  for  he  swam  like  a  cork,  and  called  to  me,  begged  to  be  taken 
in,  telling  me  he  would  go  all  over  the  world  with  me.  He  swam  so  strong  after  the 
boat,  that  he  would  have  reached  me  very  quickly,  there  being  but  little  wind ;  upon 
which  I  stepped  into  the  cabin,  and  fetching  one  of  the  fowling-pieces,  I  presented  it 
at  him,  and  told  him  I  had  done  him  no  hurt,  and  if  he  would  be  quiet  I  would  do 
him  none :  "  But,"  said  I,  "  you  swim  well  enough  to  reach  the  shore,  and  the  sea  is 
calm ;  make  the  best  of  your  way  to  shore,  and  I  will  do  you  no  harm ;  but  if  you 
come  near  the  boat,  I'll  shoot  you  through  the  head,  for  I  am  resolved  to  have  my 
liberty."  So  he  turned  himself  about,  and  swam  for  the  shore,  and  I  make  no  doubt 
but  he  reached  it  with  ease,  for  he  was  an  excellent  swimmer. 

I  could  have  been  content  to  have  taken  this  Moor  with  me,  and  have  drowned 
the  boy,  but  there  was  no  venturing  to  trust  him.  When  he  was  gone,  I  turned  to  the 
boy,  whom  they  called  Xury,  and  said  to  him,  "  Xury,  if  you  will  be  faithful  to  me,  I'll 
make  you  a  great  man ;   but  if  you  will  not  stroke  your  face  to  be  true  to  me  "  (that  is, 


'"IF   YOU    COME  NEAR   THE   BOAT,    I'LL   SHOOT   YOU'"  (/.  15). 


With  Xury  in  the  Boat. 


17 


swear  by  Mahomet  and  his  father's  beard),  "  I  must  throw  you  into  the  sea  too."  The 
boy  smiled  in  my  face,  and  spoke  so  innocently,  that  I  could  not  mistrust  him,  and 
swore  to  be  faithful  to  me,  and  go  all  over  the  world  with  me. 

While  I  was  in  the  view  of  the  Moor  that  was  swimming,  I  stood  out  directly  to 
sea,  with  the  boat  rather  stretching  to  windward,  that  they  might  think  me  gone 


"  WE    FILLED    OUR   JARS  "    {p.    19). 


towards  the  Straits'  *  mouth  (as  indeed  any  one  that  had  been  in  their  wits  must  have 
been  supposed  to  do) :  for  who  would  have  supposed  we  were  sailing  on  to  the 
southward,  to  the  truly  barbarian  coast,  where  whole  nations  of  negroes  were  sure  to 
surround  us  with  their  canoes,  and  destroy  us ;  where  we  could  never  once  go  on 
shore  but  we  should  be  devoured  by  savage  beasts,  or  mere  merciless  savages  of 
human  kind? 

*  Straits,  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar. 


1 8  Robinson  Crusoe. 

But  as  soon  as  it  grew  dusk  in  the  evening,  I  changed  my  course,  and  steered 
directly  south  and  by  east,  bending  my  course  a  little  towards  the  east,  that  I  might 
keep  in  with  the  shore  ;  and  having  a  fair,  fresh  gale  of  wind,  and  a  smooth,  quiet 
sea,  I  made  such  sail  that  I  believe  by  the  next  day  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
when  I  first  made  the  land,  I  could  not  be  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
south  of  Sallee :  quite  beyond  the  Emperor  of  Morocco's  dominions,  or  indeed  of 
any  other  king  thereabouts,  for  we  saw  no  people. 

Yet  such  was  the  fright  I  had  taken  at  the  Moors,  and  the  dreadful  apprehensions 
I  had  of  falling  into  their  hands,  that  I  would  not  stop,  or  go  on  shore,  or  come  to  an 
anchor,  the  wind  continuing  fair,  till  I  had  sailed  in  that  manner  five  days ;  and  then, 
the  wind  shifting  to  the  southward,  I  concluded  also  that  if  any  of  our  vessels  were 
in  chase  of  me,  they  also  would  now  give  over ;  so  I  ventured  to  make  to  the  coast, 
and  came  to  an  anchor  in  the  mouth  of  a  little  river,  I  knew  not  what  nor  where ; 
neither  what  latitude,  what  country,  what  nation,  or  what  river.  I  neither  saw  nor 
desired  to  see  any  people  ;  the  principal  thing  I  wanted  was  fresh  water.  We  came 
into  this  creek  in  the  evening,  resolving  to  swim  on  shore  as  soon  as  it  was  dark, 
and  discover  the  country ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  quite  dark,  we  heard  such  dreadful 
noises  of  the  barking,  roaring,  and  howling  of  wild  creatures,  of  we  knew  not  what 
kinds,  that  the  poor  boy  was  ready  to  die  with  fear,  and  begged  of  me  not  to  go 
on  shore  till  day.  "Well,  Xury,"  said  I,  "then  I  won't;  but  it  may  be  we  may 
see  men  by  day,  who  will  be  as  bad  to  us  as  those  lions."  "Then  Ave  give  them 
the  shoot-gun,"  says  Xury,  laughing,  "  make  them  run  wey."  Such  English  Xury 
spoke  by  conversing  among  us  slaves.  However,  I  was  glad  to  see  the  boy  so 
cheerful,  and  I  gave  him  a  dram  (out  of  our  patron's  case  of  bottles)  to  cheer  him  up. 
After  all,  Xury's  advice  was  good,  and  I  took  it :  we  dropped  our  little  anchor, 
and  lay  still  all  night :  I  say  still,  for  we  slept  none ;  for  in  two  or  three  hours  we 
saw  vast  great  creatures  (we  knew  not  what  to  call  them),  of  many  sorts,  come 
down  to  the  sea-shore,  and  run  into  the  water,  wallowing  and  washing  themselves 
for  the  pleasure  of  cooling  themselves ;  and  they  made  such  hideous  howlings  and 
yellings  that  I  never  indeed  heard  the  like. 

Xury  was  dreadfully  frighted,  and  indeed  so  was  I  too ;  but  we  were  both  more 
frighted  when  we  heard  one  mighty  creature  come  swimming  towards  our  boat ;  we 
could  not  see  him,  but  we  might  hear  him  by  his  blowing  to  be  a  monstrous,  huge, 
and  furious  beast.  Xury  said  it  was  a  lion,  and  it  might  be  so  for  aught  I  know ; 
but  poor  Xury  cried  to  me  to  weigh  the  anchor  and  row  away.  "  No,"  says  I,  "  Xury, 
we  can  slip  our  cable,  with  the  buoy  to  it,  and  go  to  sea;  they  cannot  follow  us  far." 
I  had  no  sooner  said  so  but  I  perceived  the  creature,  whatever  it  was,  within  two 
oars'  length,  which  something  surprised  me ;  however,  I  immediately  stepped  to  the 
cabin-door,  and  taking  up  my  gun,  fired  at  him ;  upon  which  he  immediately  turned 
about,  and  swam  towards  the  shore  again. 

But  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  horrid  noises  and  hideous  cries  and  howlings 
that  were  raised,  as  well  upon  the  edge  of  the  shore  as  higher  within  the  country, 
upon  the  noise  or  report  of  a  gun,  a  thing  I  have  some  reason  to  believe  those 
creatures  had  never  heard  before.     This  convinced  me  that  there  was  no  going  on 


We  Venture  on  Shore.  19 

shore  for  us  in  the  night  upon  that  coast ;  and  how  to  venture  on  shore  in  the  day  was 
another  question  too ;  for  to  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  any  of  the  savages,  had 
been  as  bad  as  to  have  fallen  into  the  paws  of  lions  and  tigers ;  at  least  we  were 
equally  apprehensive  of  the  danger  of  it. 

Be  that  as  it  would,  we  were  obliged  to  go  on  shore  somewhere  or  other  for  water, 
for  we  had  not  a  pint  left  in  the  boat ;  when  or  where  to  get  it  was  the  point.  Xury 
said,  if  I  would  let  him  go  on  shore  with  one  of  the  jars,  he  would  find  if  there  was 
any  water,  and  bring  some  to  me.  I  asked  him  why  he  would  go?  why  I  should  not 
go,  and  he  stay  in  the  boat?  The  boy  answered  with  so  much  affection,  that  made 
me  love  him  ever  after.  Says  he,  "  If  wild  mans  come,  they  eat  me,  you  go  wey." 
"  Well,  Xury,"  said  I,  "  we  will  both  go,  and  if  the  wild  mans  come,  we  will  kill  them, 
they  shall  eat  neither  of  us."  So  I  gave  Xury  a  piece  of  rusk-bread  to  eat,  and  a  dram 
out  of  our  patron's  case  of  bottles  which  I  mentioned  before ;  and  we  hauled  the  boat 
in  as  near  the  shore  as  we  thought  was  proper,  and  waded  on  shore,  carrying  nothing 
but  our  arms,  and  two  jars  for  water. 

I  did  not  care  to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  boat,  fearing  the  coming  of  canoes  with 
savages  down  the  river ;  but  the  boy,  seeing  a  low  place  about  a  mile  up  the  country, 
rambled  to  it,  and  by  and  by  I  saw  him  come  running  towards  me.  I  thought  he  was 
pursued  by  some  savage,  or  frighted  with  some  wild  beast,  and  I  ran  forward  towards 
him  to  help  him ;  but  when  I  came  nearer  to  him,  I  saw  something  hanging  over  his 
shoulders,  which  was  a  creature  that  he  had  shot,  like  a  hare,  but  different  in  color, 
and  longer  legs ;  however,  we  were  very  glad  of  it,  and  it  was  very  good  meat ;  but 
the  great  joy  that  poor  Xury  came  with,  was  to  tell  me  he  had  found  good  water,  and 
seen  no  wild  mans. 

But  we  found  afterwards  that  we  need  not  take  such  pains  for  water,  for  a  little 
higher  up  the  creek  where  we  were,  we  found  the  water  fresh  when  the  tide  was  out, 
which  flows  but  a  little  way  up  ;  so  we  filled  our  jars,  and  feasted  on  the  hare  we  had 
killed,  and  prepared  to  go  on  our  way,  having  seen  no  footsteps  of  any  human  creature 
in  that  part  of  the  country. 

As  I  had  been  one  voyage  to  this  coast  before,  I  knew  very  well  that  the  Islands  of 
the  Canaries,  and  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands  also,  lay  not  far  off  from  the  coast.  But 
as  I  had  no  instruments  to  take  an  observation  to  know  what  latitude  we  were  in,  and 
did  not  exactly  know,  or  at  least  not  remember,  what  latitude  they  were  in,  I  knew  not 
where  to  look  for  them,  or  when  to  stand  off  to  sea  towards  them  ;  otherwise  I  might 
now  easily  have  found  some  of  these  islands.  But  my  hope  was  that  if  I  stood  along 
this  coast  till  I  came  to  that  part  where  the  English  traded,  I  should  find  some  of  their 
vessels  upon  their  usual  design  of  trade,  that  would  relieve  and  take  us  in. 

By  the  best  of  my  calculation,  that  place  where  I  now  was  must  be  that  country 
which,  lying  between  the  Emperor  of  Morocco's  dominions  and  the  negroes,  lies  waste 
and  uninhabited,  except  by  wild  beasts ;  the  negroes  having  abandoned  it,  and  gone 
farther  south,  for  fear  of  the  Moors ;  and  the  Moors  not  thinking  it  worth  inhabiting, 
by  reason  of  its  barrenness ;  and  indeed  both  forsaking  it  because  of  the  prodigious 
numbers  of  tigers,  lions,  leopards,  and  other  furious  creatures  which  harbor  there ;  so 
that  the  Moors  use  it  for  their  hunting  only,  where  they  go  like  an  army,  two  or  three 


20  Robinson  Crusoe. 

thousand  men  at  a  time :  and,  indeed,  for  near  a  hundred  miles  together  upon  this 
coast,  we  saw  nothing  but  a  waste  uninhabited  country  by  day,  and  heard  nothing  but 
howlings  and  roarings  of  wild  beasts  by  night. 

Once  or  twice  in  the  day-time,  I  thought  I  saw  the  Pico  of  Teneriffe,  being  the 
high  top  of  the  mountain  Teneriffe  in  the  Canaries ;  and  had  a  great  mind  to  venture 
out,  in  hopes  of  reaching  thither ;  but  having  failed  twice,  I  was  forced  in  again  by 
contrary  winds,  the  sea  also  going  too  high  for  my  little  vessel ;  so  I  resolved  to 
pursue  my  first  design,  and  keep  along  the  shore. 

Several  times  I  was  obliged  to  land  for  fresh  water,  after  we  had  left  this  place ; 
and  once  in  particular,  being  early  in  the  morning,  we  came  to  an  anchor  under  a  little 
point  of  land,  which  was  pretty  high  ;  and  the  tide  beginning  to  flow,  we  lay  still  to  go 
farther  in.  Xury,  whose  eyes  were  more  about  him  than  it  seems  mine  were,  calls 
softly  to  me,  and  tells  me  that  we  had  best  go  farther  off  the  shore  ;  "for,"  says  he, 
"look,  yonder  lies  a  dreadful  monster  on  the  side  of  that  hillock,  fast  asleep."  I 
looked  where  he  pointed,  and  saw  a  dreadful  monster  indeed,  for  it  was  a  terrible 
great  lion  that  lay  on  the  side  of  the  shore,  under  the  shade  of  a  piece  of  the  hill  that 
hung  as  it  were  a  little  over  him.  "  Xury,"  says  I,  "  you  shall  go  on  shore  and  kill 
him."  Xury  looked  frighted,  and  said,  "Me  kill!  he  eat  me  at  one  mouth;  "  one 
mouthful  he  meant.  However,  I  said  no  more  to  the  boy,  but  bade  him  be  still,  and 
took  our  biggest  gun,  which  was  almost  musket-bore,  and  loaded  it  with  a  good  charge 
of  powder,  and  with  two  slugs,  and  laid  it  down  ;  then  I  loaded  another  gun  with  two 
bullets;  and  the  third  (for  we  had  three  pieces)  I  loaded  with  five  smaller  bullets. 
I  took  the  best  aim  I  could  with  the  first  piece  to  have  shot  him  in  the  head,  but  he 
lay  so,  with  his  leg  raised  a  little  above  his  nose,  that  the  slugs  hit  his  leg  about  the 
knee,  and  broke  the  bone.  He  started  up  growling  at  first,  but  finding  his  leg  broke, 
fell  down  again  ;  and  then  got  up  upon  three  legs,  and  gave  the  most  hideous  roar 
that  ever  I  heard.  I  was  a  little  surprised  that  I  had  not  hit  him  on  the  head ; 
however,  I  took  up  the  second  piece  immediately,  and  though  he  began  to  move  off, 
fired  again,  and  shot  him  in  the  head,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  see  him  drop ;  and 
making  but  little  noise,  he  lay  struggling  for  life.  Then  Xury  took  heart,  and  would 
have  me  let  him  go  on  shore.  "  Well,  go,"  said  I ;  so  the  boy  jumped  into  the  water, 
and  taking  the  little  gun  in  one  hand,  swam  to  shore  with  the  other  hand,  and  coming 
close  to  the  creature,  put  the  muzzle  of  the  piece  to  his  ear,  and  shot  him  in  the  head 
again,  which  dispatched  him  quite. 

This  was  game  indeed  to  us,  but  this  was  no  food ;  and  I  was  very  sorry  to  lose 
three  charges  of  powder  and  shot  upon  a  creature  that  was  good  for  nothing  to  us. 
However,  Xury  said  he  would  have  some  of  him  ;  so  he  comes  on  board,  and  asked 
me  to  give  him  the  hatchet.  "For  what,  Xury?  "  said  I.  "  Me  cut  off  his  head," 
said  he.  However,  Xury  could  not  cut  off  his  head,  but  he  cut  off  a  foot,  and  brought 
it  with  him,  and  it  was  a  monstrous  great  one. 

I  bethought  myself,  however,  that  perhaps  the  skin  of  him  might,  one  way  or  other, 
be  of  some  value  to  us  ;  and  I  resolved  to  take  off  his  skin  if  I  could.  So  Xury  and  I 
went  to  work  with  him  ;  but  Xury  was  much  the  better  workman  at  it,  for  I  knew  very 
ill  how  to  do  it.     Indeed,  it  took  us  up  both  the  whole  day,  but  at  last  we  got  off  the 


Traffic  with  the  Negroes.  21 

hide  of  him,  and  spreading  it  on  the  top  of  our  cabin,  the  sun  effectually  dried  it  in 
two  days'  time,  and  it  afterwards  served  me  to  lie  upon. 

After  this  stop,  we  made  on  to  the  southward  continually  for  ten  or  twelve  days, 
living  very  sparingly  on  our  provisions,  which  began  to  abate  very  much,  and  going  no 
oftener  into  the  shore  than  we  were  obliged  to  for  fresh  water.  My  design  in  this  was 
to  make  the  River  Gambia  or  Senegal ;  that  is  to  say,  anywhere  about  the  Cape  de 
Verd,  where  I  was  in  hopes  to  meet  with  some  European  ship  ;  and  if  I  did  not, 
I  knew  not  what  course  I  had  to  take,  but  to  seek  for  the  islands,  or  perish  there 
among  the  negroes.  I  knew  that  all  the  ships  from  Europe,  which  sailed  either  to  the 
coast  of  Guinea  or  to  Brazil,  or  to  the  East  Indies,  made  this  cape,  or  those  islands ; 
and,  in  a  word,  I  put  the  whole  of  my  fortune  upon  this  single  point,  either  that  I  must 
meet  with  some  ship,  or  must  perish. 

When  I  had  pursued  this  resolution  about  ten  days  longer,  as  I  have  said,  I  began 
to  see  that  the  land  was  inhabited  ;  and  in  two  or  three  places,  as  we  sailed  by,  we  saw 
people  stand  upon  the  shore  to  look  at  us ;  we  could  also  perceive  they  were  quite 
black,  and  stark  naked.  I  was  once  inclined  to  have  gone  on  shore  to  them ;  but 
Xury  was  my  better  counselor,  and  said  to  me,  "  No  go,  no  go."  However,  I  hauled 
in  nearer  the  shore  that  I  might  talk  to  them,  and  I  found  they  ran  along  the  shore  by 
me  a  good  way :  I  observed  they  had  no  weapons  in  their  hands,  except  one,  who  had 
a  long  slender  stick,  which  Xury  said  was  a  lance,  and  that  they  could  throw  them  a 
great  way  with  good  aim :  so  I  kept  at  a  distance,  but  talked  with  them  by  signs  as 
well  as  I  could  ;  and  particularly  made  signs  for  something  to  eat :  they  beckoned  to 
me  to  stop  my  boat,  and  they  would  fetch  me  some  meat.  Upon  this,  I  lowered  the 
top  of  my  sail,  and  lay  by,  and  two  of  them  ran  up  into  the  country,  and  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  came  back,  and  brought  with  them  two  pieces  of  dry  flesh  and  some  corn, 
such  as  is  the  produce  of  their  country ;  but  we  neither  knew  what  the  one  or  the 
other  was  :  however,  we  were  willing  to  accept  it,  but  how  to  come  at  it  was  our  next 
dispute,  for  I  would  not  venture  on  shore  to  them,  and  they  were  as  much  afraid  of  us : 
but  they  took  a  safe  way  for  us  all,  for  they  brought  it  to  the  shore  and  laid  it  down, 
and  went  and  stood  a  great  way  off  till  we  fetched  it  on  board,  and  then  came  close 
to  us  again. 

We  made  signs  of  thanks  to  them,  for  we  had  nothing  to  make  them  amends  ;  but 
an  opportunity  offered  that  very  instant  to  oblige  them  wonderfully  :  for  while  we  were 
lying  on  the  shore,  came  two  mighty  creatures,  one  pursuing  the  other  (as  we  took 
it)  with  great  fury  from  the  mountains  towards  the  sea ;  whether  it  was  the  male 
pursuing  the  female,  or  whether  they  were  in  sport  or  in  rage,  we  could  not  tell,  any 
more  than  we  could  tell  whether  it  was  usual  or  strange :  but  I  believe  it  was  the 
latter ;  because,  in  the  first  place,  those  ravenous  creatures  seldom  appear  but  in  the 
night ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  we  found  the  people  terribly  frighted,  especially  the 
women.  The  man  that  had  the  lance  or  dart  did  not  fly  from  them,  but  the  rest  did ; 
however,  as  the  two  creatures  ran  directly  into  the  water,  they  did  not  offer  to  fall  upon 
any  of  the  negroes,  but  plunged  themselves  into  the  sea,  and  swam  about,  as  if  they 
had  come  for  their  diversion  :  at  last  one  of  them  began  to  come  nearer  our  boat  than 
at  first   I   expected ;    but   I   lay  ready   for  him,   for   I   had  loaded  my   gun  with 


22  Robinson  Crusoe. 

all  possible  expedition,  and  bade  Xury  load  both  the  others.  As  soon  as  he  came 
fairly  within  my  reach,  I  fired,  and  shot  him  directly  in  the  head :  immediately  he 
sank  down  into  the  water,  but  rose  instantly,  and  plunged  up  and  down,  as  if  he  was 
struggling  for  life,  and  so  indeed  he  was :  he  immediately  made  to  the  shore ;  but 
between  the  wound,  which  was  his  mortal  hurt,  and  the  strangling  of  the  water,  he  died 
just  before  he  reached  the  shore. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  the  astonishment  of  these  poor  creatures  at  the  noise 
and  fire  of  my  gun ;  some  of  them  were  ready  even  to  die  for  fear,  and  fell  down  as 
dead  with  the  very  terror.  But  when  they  saw  the  creature  dead,  and  sunk  into  the 
water,  and  that  I  made  signs  to  them  to  come  to  the  shore,  they  took  heart  and  came 
to  the  shore,  and  began  to  search  for  the  creature.  I  found  him  by  his  blood  staining 
the  water ;  and  by  the  help  of  a  rope,  which  I  slung  round  him,  and  gave  the  negroes 
to  haul,  they  dragged  him  on  shore,  and  found  that  it  was  a  most  curious  leopard, 
spotted,  and  fine  to  an  admirable  degree ;  and  the  negroes  held  up  their  hands  with 
admiration,  to  think  Avhat  it  was  I  killed  him  with. 

The  other  creature,  frighted  with  the  flash  of  fire  and  the  noise  of  the  gun,  swam  to 
the  shore,  and  ran  up  directly  to  the  mountains  from  whence  they  came ;  nor  could  I 
at  that  distance  know  what  it  was.  I  found  quickly  the  negroes  Avere  for  eating  the 
flesh  of  this  creature,  so  I  was  willing  to  have  them  take  it  as  a  favor  from  me ; 
which,  when  I  made  signs  to  them  that  they  might  take  it,  they  were  very  thankful  for. 
Immediately  they  fell  to  work  with  him ;  and  though  they  had  no  knife,  yet,  with  a 
sharpened  piece  of  wood,  they  took  off  his  skin  as  readily,  and  much  more  readily, 
than  we  would  have  done  with  a  knife.  They  offered  me  some  of  the  flesh,  which  I 
declined,  making  as  if  I  would  give  it  them ;  but  made  signs  for  the  skin,  which  they 
gave  me  very  freely,  and  brought  me  a  great  deal  more  of  their  provision,  which, 
though  I  did  not  understand,  yet  I  accepted.  Then  I  made  signs  to  them  for  some 
water,  and  held  out  one  of  my  jars  to  them,  turning  its  bottom  upward,  to  show  that  it 
was  empty,  and  that  I  wanted  to  have  it  filled.  They  called  immediately  to  some  of 
their  friends,  and  there  came  two  women,  and  brought  a  great  vessel  made  of  earth, 
and  burnt,  as  I  suppose,  in  the  sun  ;  this  they  set  down  for  me,  as  before,  and  I  sent 
Xury  on  shore  with  my  jars  and  filled  them  all  three.  The  women  were  as  stark 
naked  as  the  men. 

I  was  now  furnished  with  roots  and  corn,  such  as  it  was,  and  water ;  and  leaving 
my  friendly  negroes,  I  made  forward  for  about  eleven  days  more,  without  offering  to 
go  near  the  shore,  till  I  saw  the  land  run  out  a  great  length  into  the  sea,  at  about  the 
distance  of  four  or  five  leagues  before  me  ;  and  the  sea  being  very  calm.  I  kept  a  large 
offing  to  make  this  point.  At  length,  doubling  the  point  at  about  two  leagues  from  the 
land,  I  saw  plainly  land  on  the  other  side,  to  seaward :  then  I  concluded,  as  it  was 
most  certain  indeed,  that  this  was  the  Cape  de  Verd,  and  those  the  islands  called,  from 
thence,  Cape  de  Verd  Islands.  However,  they  were  at  a  great  distance,  and  I  could 
not  well  tell  what  I  had  best  do  ;  for  if  I  should  be  taken  with  a  fresh  gale  of  wind,  I 
might  neither  reach  one  nor  other. 

In  this  dilemma,  as  I  was  very  pensive,  I  stepped  into  the  cabin,  and  sat  me  down, 
Xury  having  the  helm  ;   when,  on  a  sudden,  the  boy  cried  out,  ''  Master,  master,  a  ship 


Picked  up  by  a  Portuguese  Ship.  23 

with  a  sail!  "  and  the  foolish  boy  was*,frighted  out  of  his  wits,  thinking  it  must  needs 
be  some  of  his  master's  ships  sent  to  pursue  us,  when  I  knew  we  were  gotten  far 
enough  out  of  their  reach.  I  jumped  out  of  the  cabin,  and  immediately  saw,  not  only 
the  ship,  but  that  it  was  a  Portuguese  ship  ;  and,  as  I  thought,  was  bound  to  the  coast 
of  Guinea,  for  negroes.  But,  when  I  observed  the  course  she  steered,  I  was  soon 
convinced  they  were  bound  some  other  way,  and  did  not  design  to  go  any  nearer  the 
shore :  upon  which  I  stretched  out  to  the  sea  as  much  as  I  could,  resolving  to  speak 
with  them  if  possible. 

With  all  the  sail  I  could  make,  I  found  I  should  not  be  able  to  come  in  their  way, 
but  that  they  would  be  gone  by  before  I  could  make  any  signal  to  them ;  but  after  I 
had  crowded  to  the  utmost,  and  began  to  despair,  they,  it  seems,  saw  me  by  the  help 
of  their  perspective  glasses,  and  that  it  was  some  European  boat,  which  they  supposed 
must  belong  to  some  ship  that  was  lost ;  so  they  shortened  sail  to  let  me  come  up. 
I  was  encouraged  with  this,  and  as  I  had  my  patron's  ancient  on  board,  I  made  a  waft 
of  it  to  them  for  a  signal  of  distress,  and  fired  a  gun,  both  of  which  they  saw  ;  for  they 
told  me  they  saw  the  smoke,  though  they  did  not  hear  the  gun.  Upon  these  signals 
they  very  kindly  brought  to,  and  lay  by  for  me  ;  and  in  about  three  hours'  time  I  came 
up  with  them. 

They  asked  me  what  I  was,  in  Portuguese,  and  in  Spanish,  and  in  French,  but  I 
understood  none  of  them  ;  but  at  last  a  Scotch  sailor,  who  was  on  board,  called  to  me  ; 
and  I  answered  him,  and  told  him  I  was  an  Englishman,  that  had  made  my  escape  out 
of  slavery  from  the  Moors  at  Sallee ;  they  then  bade  me  come  on  board,  and  very 
kindly  took  me  in,  and  all  my  goods. 

It  was  an  inexpressible  joy  to  me,  wnich  any  one  will  believe,  that  I  was  thus 
delivered,  as  I  esteemed  it,  from  such  a  miserable  and  almost  hopeless  condition  as  I 
was  in  ;  and  I  immediately  offered  all  I  had  to  the  captain  of  the  ship,  as  a  return  for 
my  deliverance  ;  but  he  generously  told  me,  he  would  take  nothing  from  me,  but  that 
all  I  had  should  be  delivered  safe  to  me,  when  I  came  to  the  Brazils.  "  For,"  says  he, 
"  I  have  saved  your  life  on  no  other  terms  than  as  I  would  be  glad  to  be  saved  myself ; 
and  it  may,  one  time  or  other,  be  my  lot  to  be  taken  up  in  the  same  condition. 
Besides,"  said  he,  "  when  I  carry  you  to  the  Brazils,  so  great  a  way  from  your  own 
country,  if  I  should  take  from  you  what  you  have,  you  will  be  starved  there,  and  then 
I  only  take  away  that  life  I  have  given.  No,  no,"  says  he  ;  "  Seignor  Inglese  "  (Mr. 
Englishman),  "  I  will  carry  you  thither  in  charity,  and  these  things  will  help  you  to 
buy  your  subsistence  there,  and  your  passage  home  again." 

As  he  was  charitable  in  this  proposal,  so  he  was  just  in  the  performance  to  a  tittle  ; 
for  he  ordered  the  seamen  that  none  should  offer  to  touch  anything  I  had :  then  he 
took  everything  into  his  own  possession,  and  gave  me  back  an  exact  inventory  of  them, 
that  I  might  have  them,  even  to  my  three  earthen  jars. 

As  to  my  boat,  it  was  a  very  good  one ;  and  that  he  saw,  and  told  me,  he  would 
buy  it  of  me  for  the  ship's  use ;  and  asked  me  what  I  would  have  for  it.  I  told  him, 
he  had  been  so  generous  to  me  in  everything,  that  I  could  not  offer  to  make  any  price 
of  the  boat,  but  left  it  entirely  to  him :  upon  which,  he  told  me,  he  would  give  me  a 
note  of  his  hand  to  pay  me  eighty  pieces  of  eight  for  it  at  Brazil ;  and  when  it  came 


24  Robinson  Crusoe. 

there,  if  any  one  offered  to  give  more,  he  would  make  it  up.  He  offered  me  also  sixty 
pieces  of  eight  mere  for  my  boy  Xury,  which  I  was  loth  to  take ;  not  that  I  was 
unwilling  to  let  the  captain  have  him,  but  I  was  very  loth  to  sell  the  poor  boy's  liberty, 
who  had  assisted  me  so  faithfully  in  procuring  my  own.  However,  when  I  let  him  know 
my  reason,  he  owned  it  to  be  just,  and  offered  me  this  medium,  that  he  would  give  the 
boy  an  obligation  to  set  him  free  in  ten  years,  if  he  turned  Christian  :  upon  this,  and 
Xury  saying  he  was  willing  to  go  to  him,  I  let  the  captain  have  him. 

We  had  a  very  good  voyage  to  the  Brazils,  and  I  arrived  in  the  Bay  de  Todos  los 
Santos,  or  All  Saints  Bay,  in  about  twenty-two  days  after.  And  now  I  was  once  more 
delivered  from  the  most  miserable  of  all  conditions  of  life ;  and  what  to  do  next  with 
myself  I  was  to  consider. 

The  generous  treatment  the  captain  gave  me,  I  can  never  enough  remember :  he 
would  take  nothing  of  me  for  my  passage,  gave  me  twenty  ducats  for  the  leopard's 
skin,  and  forty  for  the  lion's  skin,  which  I  had  in  my  boat,  and  caused  everything  I 
had  in  the  ship  to  be  punctually  delivered  to  me ;  and  what  I  was  willing  to  sell,  he 
bought  of  me  :  such  as  the  case  of  bottles,  two  of  my  guns,  and  a  piece  of  the  lump  of 
beeswax,  for  I  had  made  candles  of  the  rest :  in  a  word,  I  made  about  two  hundred 
and  twenty  pieces  of  eight  of  all  my  cargo  ;  and  with  this  stock,  I  went  on  shore  in  the 
Brazils. 

I  had  not  been  long  here,  but  being  recommended  to  the  house  of  a  good,  honest 
man,  like  himself,  who  had  an  ingenio,  as  they  call  it  (that  is,  a  plantation  and  a  sugar- 
house),  I  lived  with  him  some  time,  and  acquainted  myself,  by  that  means,  with  the 
manner  of  their  planting  and  making  of  sugar  ;  and  seeing  how  well  the  planters  lived, 
and  how  they  got  rich  suddenly,  I  resolved,  if  I  could  get  a  license  to  settle  there,  I 
would  turn  planter  among  them ;  resolving,  in  the  meantime,  to  find  out  some  way  to 
get  my  money,  which  I  had  left  in  London,  remitted  to  me.  To  this  purpose,  getting 
a  kind  of  letter  of  naturalization,  I  purchased  as  much  land  that  was  uncured  as  my 
money  would  reach,  and  formed  a  plan  for  my  plantation  and  settlement ;  such  a  one 
as  might  be  suitable  to  the  stock  which  I  proposed  to  myself  to  receive  from  England. 

I  had  a  neighbor,  a  Portuguese,  of  Lisbon,  but  born  of  English  parents,  whose 
name  was  Wells,  and  in  much  such  circumstances  as  I  was.  I  call  him  neighbor, 
because  his  plantation  lay  next  to  mine,  and  we  went  on  very  sociably  together.  My 
stock  was  but  low,  as  well  as  his ;  and  we  rather  planted  for  food  than  anything  else, 
for  about  two  years.  However,  we  began  to  increase,  and  our  land  began  to  come 
into  order ;  so  that  the  third  year  we  planted  some  tobacco,  and  made  each  of  us  a 
large  piece  of  ground  ready  for  planting  canes  in  the  year  to  come;  but- we  both 
wanted  help  ;  and  now  I  found,  more  than  before,  I  had  done  wrong  in  parting  with 
my  boy  Xury. 

But,  alas!  for  me  to  do  wrong  that  never  did  right,  was  no  great  wonder.  I  had 
no  remedy  but  to  go  on :  I  had  got  into  employment  quite  remote  to  my  genius  and 
directly  contrary  to  the  life  I  delighted  in,  and  for  which  I  forsook  my  father's  house, 
and  broke  through  all  his  good  advice  ;  nay,  I  was  coming  into  the  very  middle  station, 
or  upper  degree  of  low  life,  which  my  father  advised  me  to  before,  and  which,  if  I 
resolved  to  go  on  with,  I  might  as  well  have  stayed  at  home,  and  never  fatigued  myself 


In  the  Brazils. 


25 


in  the  world,  as  I  have  done ;  and  I  used  often  to  say  to  myself,  "  I  could  have  done 
this  as  well  in  England,  among  my  friends,  as  have  gone  five  thousand  miles  off  to  do 
it  among  strangers  and  savages,  in  a  wilderness,  and  at  such  a  distance  as  never  tc 
hear  from  any  part  of  the  world  that  had  the  least  knowledge  of  me." 

In  this  manner  I  used  to  look  upon  my  condition  with  the  utmost  regret.  I  had 
nobody  to  converse  with  but  now  and  then  this  neighbor ;  no  work  to  be  done 
but  by  the  labor  of  my 
hands ;  and  I  used  to  say, 
I  lived  just  like  a  man 
cast  away  upon  some  des- 
olate island,  that  had  no- 
body there  but  himself. 
But  how  just  has  it  been ; 
and  how  should  all  men 
reflect,  that  when  they 
compare  their  present  con 
ditions  with  others  that 
are  worse,  Heaven  may 
oblige  them  to  make  the 
exchange,  and  be  con- 
vinced of  their  former  fe- 
licity by  their  experience — 
I  say,  how  just  has  it  been 
that  the  truly  solitary  life 
I  reflected  on,  in  an  island, 
or  mere  desolation,  should 
be  my  lot,  who  had  so 
often  unjustly  compared  it 
with  the  life  which  I  then 
led,  in  which,  had  I  con- 
tinued, I  had  in  all  prob- 
ability been  exceedingly 
prosperous  and  rich. 

I  was,  in  some  degree, 
settled  in  my  measures  for 
carrying  on  the  plantation 

before  my  kind  friend,  the  captain  of  the  ship  that  took  me  up  at  sea,  went  back ; 
for  the  ship  remained  there,  in  providing  her  lading,  and  preparing  for  her  voyage, 
near  three  months ;  when,  telling  him  what  little  stock  I  had  left  behind  me  in 
London,  he  gave  me  this  friendly  and  sincere  advice: — "  Seignor  Inglese,"  says  he 
(for  so  he  always  called  me),  "  if  you  will  give  me  letters,  and  a  procuration  here 
in  form  to  me,  with  orders  to  the  person  who  has  your  money  in  London,  to  send 
your  effects  to  Lisbon,  to  such  persons  as  I  shall  direct,  and  in  such  goods  as 
are  proper  for  this  country,  I  will  bring  you  the  produce  of  them,  God  willing,  at 


I    BOUGHT    ME    A    NEGRO    SLAVE  "    (p.   26). 


26  Robinson  Crusoe. 

my  return;  but,  since  human  affairs  are  all  subject  to  changes  and  disasters,  I  would 
have  you  give  orders  but  for  one  hundred  pounds  sterling,  which,  you  say,  is  half 
your  stock,  and  let  the  hazard  be  run  for  the  first ;  so  that,  if  it  come  safe,  you  may 
order  the  rest  the  same  way  ;  and  if  it  miscarry,  you  may  have  the  other  half  to  have 
recourse  to  for  your  supply." 

This  was  so  wholesome  advice,  and  looked  so  friendly,  that  I  could  not  but  be 
convinced  it  was  the  best  course  I  could  take ;  so  I  accordingly  prepared  letters  to 
the  gentlewoman  with  whom  I  had  left  my  money,  and  a  procuration  to  the  Portuguese 
captain,  as  he  desired, 

I  wrote  the  English  captain's  widow  a  full  account  of  all  my  adventures,  my 
slavery,  escape,  and  how  I  had  met  with  the  Portuguese  captain  at  sea,  the  humanity 
of  his  behavior,  and  what  condition  I  was  now  in,  with  all  other  necessary  directions 
for  my  supply ;  and  when  this  honest  captain  came  to  Lisbon,  he  found  means,  by 
some  of  the  English  merchants  there,  to  send  over  not  the  order  only,  but  a  full 
account  of  my  story,  to  a  merchant  at  London,  who  represented  it  effectually  to  her ; 
whereupon  she  not  only  delivered  the  money,  but  out  of  her  own  pocket  sent  the 
Portugal  captain  a  very  handsome  present  for  his  humanity  and  charity  to  me. 

The  merchant  in  London  vested  this  hundred  pounds  in  English  goods,  such  as 
the  captain  had  written  for,  sent  them  directly  to  him  at  Lisbon,  and  he  brought 
them  all  safe  to  me  to  the  Brazils  ;  among  which,  without  my  direction  (for  I  was  too 
young  in  my  business  to  think  of  them),  he  had  taken  care  to  have  all  sorts  of 
tools,  iron  work,  and  utensils  necessary  for  my  plantation,  and  which  were  of  great  use 
to  me. 

When  this  cargo  arrived,  I  thought  my  fortune  made,  for  I  was  surprised  with  the 
joy  of  it ;  and  my  good  steward,  the  captain,  had  laid  out  the  five  pounds,  which  my 
friend  had  sent  him  for  a  present  for  himself,  to  purchase  and  bring  me  over  a  servant, 
under  bond  for  six  years'  service,  and  would  not  accept  of  any  consideration,  except  a 
little  tobacco,  which  I  would  have  him  accept,  being  of  my  own  produce. 

Neither  was  this  all ;  for  my  goods  being  all  English  manufacture,  such  as  cloth, 
stuffs,  baize,  and  things  particularly  valuable  and  desirable  in  the  country,  I  found 
means  to  sell  them  at  a.  very  great  advantage ;  so  that  I  may  say  I  had  more  than 
four  times  the  value  of  my  first  cargo,  and  was  now  infinitely  beyond  my  poor 
neighbor — I  mean  in  the  advancement  of  my  plantation ;  for  the  first  thing  I  did, 
I  bought  me  a  negro  slave  and  an  European  servant  also  :  I  mean  another  besides  that 
which  the  captain  brought  me  from  Lisbon. 

But  as  abused  prosperity  is  oftentimes  made  the  very  means  of  our  greatest 
adversity,  so  was  it  with  me.  I  went  on  the  next  year  with  great  success  in  my 
plantation:  I  raised  fifty  great  rolls  of  tobacco  on  my  own  ground,  more  than  I 
had  disposed  of  for  necessaries  among  my  neighbors  ;  and  these  fifty  rolls,  being  each 
of  above  a  hundredweight,  were  well  cured,  and  laid  by  against  the  return  of  the  fleet 
from  Lisbon.  And  now  increasing  in  business  and  wealth,  my  head  began  to  be  full 
of  projects  and  undertakings  beyond  my  reach ;  such  as  are  indeed  often  the  ruin  of 
the  best  heads  in  business.  Had  I  continued  in  the  station  I  was  now  in,  I  had  room 
for  all  the  happy  things  to  have  yet  befallen  me,  for  which  my  father  so  earnestly 


My  Plantation  in  the  Brazils.  27 

recommended  a  quiet,  retired  life,  and  which  he  had  so  sensibly  described  the  middle 
station  of  life  to  be  full  of ;  but  other  things  attended  me,  and  I  was  still  to  be  the 
willful  agent  of  all  my  own  miseries  ;  and  particularly,  to  increase  my  fault,  and  double 
the  reflections  upon  myself,  which  in  my  future  sorrows  I  should  have  leisure  to  make, 
all  these  miscarriages  were  procured  by  my  apparent  obstinate  adhering  to  my  foolish 
inclination  of  wandering  abroad,  and  pursuing  that  inclination,  in  contradiction  to  the 
clearest  views  of  doing  myself  good  in  a  fair  and  plain  pursuit  of  those  prospects  and 
(.nose  measures  of  life  which  nature  and  Providence  concurred  to  present  me  with,  and 
to  make  my  duty. 

As  I  had  once  done  thus  in  breaking  away  from  my  parents,  so  I  could  not  be 
content  now,  but  I  must  go  and  leave  the  happy  view  I  had  of  being  a  rich  and 
thriving  man  in  my  new  plantation,  only  to  pursue  a  rash  and  immoderate  desire  of 
rising  faster  than  the  nature  of  the  thing  admitted ;  and  thus  I  cast  myself  down  again 
into  the  deepest  gulf  of  human  misery  that  ever  man  fell  into,  or  perhaps  could  be 
consistent  with  life,  and  a  state  of  health  in  the  world. 

To  come  then  by  just  degrees  to  the  particulars  of  this  part  of  my  story: — You 
may  suppose  that  having  now  lived  almost  four  years  in  the  Brazils,  and  beginning  to 
thrive  and  prosper  very  well  upon  my  plantation,  I  had  not  only  learned  the  language, 
but  had  contracted  acquaintance  and  friendship  among  my  fellow-planters,  as  well  as 
among  the  merchants  of  St.  Salvadore,  which  was  our  port ;  and  that,  in  my  discourse 
among  them,  I  had  frequently  given  them  an  account  of  my  two  voyages  to  the  coast 
of  Guinea,  the  manner  of  trading  with  the  negroes  there,  and  how  easy  it  was  to 
purchase  upon  the  coast  for  trifles — such  as  beads,  toys,  knives,  scissors,  hatchets,  bits 
of  glass,  and  the  like — not  only  gold-dust,  Guinea  grains,  elephants'  teeth,  etc.,  but 
negroes,  for  the  service  of  the  Brazils,  in  great  numbers. 

They  listened  always  very  attentively  to  my  discourses  on  these  heads,  but  especially 
to  that  part  which  related  to  the  buying  negroes  ;  which  was  a  trade,  at  that  time,  not 
only  not  far  entered  into,  but,  as  far  as  it  was,  had  been  carried  on  by  the  Assiento, 
or  permission,  of  the  King  of  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  engrossed  in  the  public  stock ; 
so  that  few  negroes  were  brought,  and  those  excessively  dear. 

It  happened,  being  in  company  one  day  with  some  merchants  and  planters  of  my 
acquaintance,  and  talking  of  those  things  very  earnestly,  three  of  them  came  to  me  the 
next  morning,  and  told  me  they  had  been  musing  very  much  upon  what  I  had  dis- 
coursed of  with  them  the  last  night,  and  they  came  to  make  a  secret  proposal  to  me ; 
and,  after  enjoining  me  secrecy,  they  told  me  that  they  had  a  mind  to  fit  out  a  ship  to 
go  to  Guinea ;  that  they  had  all  plantations  as  well  as  I,  and  were  straitened  for 
nothing  so  much  as  servants ;  that  as  it  was  a  trade  that  could  not  be  carried  on, 
because  they  could  not  publicly  sell  the  negroes  when  they  came  home,  so  they  desired 
to  make  but  one  voyage,  to  1  bring  the  negroes  on  shore  privately,  and  divide  them 
among  their  own  plantations ;  and,  in  a  word,  the  question  was,  whether  I  would  go 
their  supercargo  in  the  ship,  to  manage  the  trading  part  upon  the  coast  of  Guinea ; 
and  they  offered  me  that  I  should  have  my  equal  share  of  the  negroes,  without  pro- 
viding any  part  of  the  stock. 

This  was  a  fair  proposal,  it  must  be  confessed,  had  it  been  made  to  any  one  that 


23 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


had  not  had  a  settlement  and  plantation  of  his  own  to  look  after,  which  was  in  a 
fair  way  of  coming  to  be  very  considerable,  and  with  a  good  stock  upon  it.  But  for 
me,  that  was  thus  entered  and  established,  and  had  nothing  to  do  but  go  on  as  I  had 
begun,  for  three  or  four  years  more,  and  to  have  sent  for  the  other  hundred  pounds 

from    England ;    and 

who    in     that     time, 

and    with    that    little 

■  ■■?■.:.:  ad  di  t  i  o  n,    could 

jjjj    __  __  scarce  have  failed  of 

being  worth  three  or 
four  thousand  pounds 
sterling,  and  that  in- 
creasing too — for  me 
to  think  of  such  a 
voyage  was  the  most 
preposterous  thing 
that  ever  man  in  such 
circumstances  could 
be  guilty  of. 

But  I,  that  was 
born  to  be  my  own 
destroyer,  could  no 
more  resist  the  offer 
than  I  could  restrain 
my  fi r  s  t  rambling 
designs,  when  my 
father's  good  coun- 
sel was  lost  upon 
me.  In  a  word,  I 
told  them  I  would 
go  with  all  my  heart, 
if  they  would  un- 
dertake to  look  after 
my  plantation  in  my 
absence,  and  would  dispose  of  it  as  I  should  direct,  if  I  miscarried.  This  they  all 
engaged  to  do,  and  entered  into  writings  and  covenants  to  do  so ;  I  made  a  formal 
will,  disposing  of  my  plantation  and  effects  in  case  of  my  death,  making  the  captain 
of  the  ship  that  had  saved  my  life,  as  before,  my  universal  heir,  but  obliging  him 
to  dispose  of  my  effects  as  I  had  directed  in  my  will ;  one-half  of  the  produce  being 
to  himself,  and  the  other  to  be  shipped  to  England. 

In  short,  I  took  all  possible  caution  to  preserve  my  effects,  and  to  keep  up  my 
plantation.  Had  I  used  half  as  much  prudence  to  have  looked  into  my  own  interest, 
and  have  made  a  judgment  of  what  I  ought  to  have  done,  and  not  to  have  done,  I  had 
certainly  never  gone  away  from  so  prosperous  an  undertaking,  leaving  all  the  probable 


LOOKING    OVER    THE    CHARTS"    (/>.   J'jj. 


A   Violent  Tornado. 


29 


views  of  a  thriving  circumstance,  and  gone  upon  a  voyage  to  sea,  attended  with  all  its 
common  hazards,  to  say  nothing  of  the  reasons  I  had  to  expect  particular  misfortunes 
to  myself. 

But  I  was  hurried  on,  and  obeyed  blindly  the  dictates  of  my  fancy  rather  than  my 
reason ;  and,  accordingly,  the  ship  being  fitted  out,  and  the  cargo  finished,  and  all 
things  done  as  by  agreement,  by  my  partners  in  the  voyage,  I  went  on  board  in  an 
evil  hour  again,  the  1st  of  September,  1659,  being  the  same  day  eight  years  that  I 
went  from  my  father  and  mother  at  Hull,  in  order  to  act  the  rebel  to  their  authority 
and  the  fool  to  my  own  interest. 

Our  ship  was  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  burden,  carried  six  guns,  and 
fourteen  men,  besides  the  master,  his  boy,  and  myself ;  we  had  on  board  no  large 
cargo  of  goods,  except  of  such  toys  as  were  fit  for  our  trade  with  the  negroes,  such  as 
beads,  bits  of  glass,  shells,  and  odd  trifles,  especially  little  looking-glasses,  knives, 
scissors,  hatchets,  and  the  like. 

The  same  day  I  went  on  board  we  set  sail,  standing  away  to  the  northward  upon 
our  own  coasts,  with  design  to  stretch  over  for  the  African  coast,  when  they  came 
into  about  ten  or  twelve  degrees  of  northern  latitude  ;  which,  it  seems,  was  the  manner 
of  their  course  in  those  days.  We  had  very  good  weather,  only  excessively  hot,  all  the 
way  upon  our  own  coast  till  we  came  to  the  height  of  Cape  St.  Augustino ;  from 
whence,  keeping  farther  off  at  sea,  we  lost  sight  of  land,  and  steered  as  if  we  were 
bound  for  the  isle  Fernando  de  Noronha,  holding  our  course  N.E.  by  N.,  and  leaving 
those  isles  on  the  east.  In  this  course  we  passed  the  line  in  about  twelve  days'  time, 
and  were,  by  our  last  observation,  in  seven  degrees  twenty-two  minutes  northern 
latitude,  when  a  violent  tornado,  or  hurricane,  took  us  quite  out  of  our  knowledge. 


"we  hastened  our  destruction  with  our  own  hands"  (p.  31). 


30  Robinson  Crusoe. 

It  began  from  the  south-east,  came  about  to  the  north-west,  and  then  settled  into  the 
north-east ;  from  whence  it  blew  in  such  a  terrible  manner,  that  for  twelve  days 
together  we  could  do  nothing  but  drive,  and,  scudding  away  before  it,  let  it  carry  us 
wherever  fate  and  the  fury  of  the  winds  directed  ;  and  during  these  twelve  days,  I  need 
not  say  that  I  expected  every  day  to  be  swallowed  up  ;  nor  did  any  in  the  ship  expect 
to  save  their  lives. 

In  this  distress  we  had,  besides  the  terror  of  the  storm,  one  of  our  men  died  of 
the  calenture,  and  a  man  and  a  boy  washed  overboard.  About  the  twelfth  day,  the 
weather  abating  a  little,  the  master  made  an  observation  as  well  as  he  could,  and  found 
that  he  was  in  about  eleven  degrees  of  north  latitude,  but  that  he  was  twenty-two 
degrees  of  longitude  difference  west  from  Cape  St.  Augustino  ;  so  that  he  found  he  was 
gotten  upon  the  coast  of  Guiana,  or  the  north  part  of  Brazil,  beyond  the  river 
Amazones,  towards  that  of  the  river  Oroonoque,  commonly  called  the  Great  River ; 
and  now  he  began  to  consult  with  me  what  course  he  should  take ;  for  the  ship  was 
leaky,  and  very  much  disabled,  and  he  was  for  going  directly  back  to  the  coast  of  Brazil. 

I  was  positively  against  that ;  and  looking  over  the  charts  of  the  sea-coast  of 
America  with  him,  we  concluded  there  was  no  inhabited  country  for  us  to  have 
recourse  to  till  we  came  within  the  circle  of  the  Caribbee  Islands,  and  therefore 
resolved  to  stand  away  for  Barbadoes ;  which,  by  keeping  off  at  sea,  to  avoid  the 
in-draft  of  the  Bay  or  Gulf  of  Mexico,  we  might  easily  perform,  as  we  hoped,  in  about 
fifteen  days'  sail ;  whereas  we  could  not  possibly  make  our  voyage  to  the  coast  of 
Africa  without  some  assistance  both  to  our  ship  and  to  ourselves. 

With  this  design  we  changed  our  course,  and  steered  away  N.W.  by  W.,  in  order 
to  reach  some  of  our  English  islands,  where  I  hoped  for  relief ;  but  our  voyage  was 
otherwise  determined ;  for,  being  in  the  latitude  of  twelve  degrees  eighteen  minutes, 
a  second  storm  came  upon  us,  which  carried  us  away  with  the  same  impetuosity 
westward,  and  drove  us  so  out  of  the  way  of  all  human  commerce,  that  had  all  our 
lives  been  saved  as  to  the  sea,  we  were  rather  in  danger  of  being  devoured  by  savages 
than  ever  returning  to  our  own  country. 

In  this  distress,  the  wind  still  blowing  very  hard,  one  of  our  men  early  one  morning 
cried  out,  "  Land! "  and  we  had  no  sooner  run  out  of  the  cabin  to  look  out,  in  hopes 
of  seeing  whereabouts  in  the  world  we  were,  than  the  ship  struck  upon  a  sand,  and  in 
a  moment,  her  motion  being  so  stopped,  the  sea  broke  over  her  in  such  a  manner  that 
we  expected  we  should  all  have  perished  immediately,  and  we  were  even  driven  into 
our  close  quarters,  to  shelter  us  from  the  very  foam  and  spray  of  the  sea. 

It  is  not  easy  for  any  one  who  has  not  been  in  the  like  condition  to  describe  or 
conceive  the  consternation  of  men  in  such  circumstances.  We  knew  nothing  where 
we  were,  or  upon  what  land  it  was  we  were  driven ;  whether  an  island  or  the  main, 
whether  inhabited  or  not  inhabited.  As  the  rage  of  the  wind  was  still  great,  though 
rather  less  than  at  first,  we  could  not  so  much  as  hope  to  have  the  ship  hold  many 
minutes  without  breaking  in  pieces,  unless  the  winds,  by  a  kind  of  miracle,  should  turn 
immediately  about.  In  a  word,  we  sat  looking  one  upon  another,  and  expecting  death 
every  moment,  and  every  man  acting  accordingly,  as  preparing  for  another  world  ;  for 
there  was  little  or  nothing  more  for  us  to  do  in  this ;   that  which  was  our  present 


Shipwrecked.  3 1 

comfort,  and  all  the  comfort  we  had,  was  that,  contrary  to  our  expectation,  the  ship 
did  not  break  yet,  and  that  the  master  said  the  wind  began  to  abate. 

Now,  though  we  thought  that  the  wind  did  a  little  abate,  yet  the  ship  having  thus 
struck  upon  the  sand,  and  sticking  too  fast  for  us  to  expect  her  getting  off,  we  were  in 
a  dreadful  condition  indeed,  and  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  think  of  saving  our  lives  as 
well  as  we  could.  We  had  a  boat  at  our  stern  just  before  the  storm,  but  she  was  first 
staved  by  dashing  against  the  ship's  rudder,  and  in  the  next  place,  she  broke  away, 
and  either  sunk  or  was  driven  off  to  sea ;  so  tnere  was  no  hope  from  her.  AVe  had 
another  boat  on  board,  but  how  to  get  her  off  into  the  sea  was  a  doubtful  thing ; 
however,  there  was  no  room  to  debate,  for  we  fancied  the  ship  would  break  in  pieces 
every  minute,  and  some  told  us  she  was  actually  broken  already. 

In  this  distress,  the  mate  of  our  vessel  lays  hold  of  the  boat,  and  with  the  help  of 
the  rest  of  the  men,  they  got  her  flung  over  the  ship's  side ;  and  getting  all  into  her, 
let  go,  and  committed  ourselves,  being  eleven  in  number,  to  God's  mercy  and  the  wild 
sea :  for  though  the  storm  was  abated  considerably,  yet  the  sea  went  dreadfully  high 
upon  the  shore,  and  might  be  well  called  den  wild  zee,  as  the  Dutch  call  the  sea  in  3. 
storm. 

And  now  our  case  was  very  dismal  indeed ;  for  we  all  saw  plainly  that  the  sea 
went  so  high  that  the  boat  could  not  escape,  and  that  we  should  be  inevitably 
drowned.  As  to  making  sail,  we  had  none,  nor,  if  we  had,  could  we  have  done 
anything  with  it ;  so  we  worked  at  the  oar  towards  the  land,  though  with  heavy  hearts, 
like  men  going  to  execution  ;  for  we  all  knew  that  when  the  boat  came  near  the  shore, 
she  would  be  dashed  in  a  thousand  pieces  by  the  breach  of  the  sea.  However,  we 
committed  our  souls  to  God  in  the  most  earnest  manner ;  and  the  wind  driving  us 
towards  the  shore,  we  hastened  our  destruction  with  our  own  hands,  pulling  as  well  as 
we  could  towards  land. 

What  the  shore  was,  whether  rock  or  sand,  whether  steep  or  shoal,  we  knew  not ; 
the  only  hope  that  could  rationally  give  us  the  least  shadow  of  expectation,  was  if  we 
might  happen  into  some  bay  or  gulf,  or  the  mouth  of  some  rive?,  where  by  great  chance 
we  might  have  run  our  boat  in,  or  got  under  the  lee  of  the  land,  and  perhaps  made 
smooth  water.  But  there  was  nothing  of  this  appeared ;  but  as  we  made  nearer  and 
nearer  the  shore,  the  land  looked  more  frightful  than  the  sea. 

After  we  had  rowed,  or  rather  driven,  about  a  league  and  a  half,  as  we  reckoned 
it,  a  raging  wave,  mountain-like,  came  rolling  astern  of  us,  an&  plainly  bade  us  expect 
the  coup  de  grace.  In  a  word,  it  took  us  with  such  a  fury  that  it  overset  the  boat  at 
once ;  and  separating  us  as  well  from  the  boat  as  from  one  another,  gave  us  not  time 
hardly  to  say,  "  O  God! "  for  we  were  all  swallowed  up  in  a  moment. 

Nothing  can  describe  the  confusion  of  thought  which  I  felt,  when  I  sank  into  the 
water ;  for  though  I  swam  very  well,  yet  I  could  not  deliver  myself  from  the  waves  so 
as  to  draw  breath,  till  that  wave  having  driven  me,  or  rather  carried  me,  a  vast  way  on 
towards  the  shore,  and  having  spent  itself,  went  back,  and  left  me  upon  the  land 
almost  dry,  but  half  dead  with  the  water  I  took  in.  I  had  so  much  presence  of  mind, 
as  well  as  breath  left,  that  seeing  myself  nearer  the  mainland  than  I  expected,  I  got 
upon  my  feet,  and  endeavored  to  make  on  towards  the  land  as  fast  as  I  could,  before 


32 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


another  wave  should  return  and  take  me  up  again  ;  but  I  soon  found  it  was  impossible 
to  avoid  it ;  for  I  saw  the  sea  come  after  me  as  high  as  a  great  hill,  and  as  furious  as 
an  enemy,  which  I  had  no  means  or  strength  to  contend  with :  my  business  was  to 
hold  my  breath,  and  raise  myself  upon  the  water,  if  I  could ;  and  so  by  swimming  to 
preserve  my  breathing,  and  pilot  myself  towards  the  shore  if  possible ;  my  greatest 
concern  now  being  that  the  wave,  as  it  would  carry  me  a  great  way  towards  the  shore 
when  it  came  on,  might  not  carry  me  back  again  with  it  when  it  gave  back  towards 
the  sea. 


1    WAS    NOW    LANDED"    (p.    33). 


The  wave  that  came  upon  me  again  buried  me  at  once  twenty  or  thirty  feet 
deep  in  its  own  body,  and  I  could  feel  myself  carried  with  a  mighty  force  and 
swiftness  towards  the  shore  a  very  great  way ;  but  I  held  my  breath,  and  assisted 
myself  to  swim  still  forward  with  all  my  might.  I  was  ready  to  burst  with  holding 
my  breath,  when  as  I  felt  myself  rising  up,  so,  to  my  immediate  relief,  I  found  my 
head  and  hands  shoot  out  above  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  though  it  was  not 
two  seconds  of  time  that  I  could  keep  myself  so,  yet  it  relieved  me  greatly,  gave 
me  breath  and  new  courage.  I  was  covered  again  with  water  a  good  while,  but 
not  so  long  but  I  held  it  out ;  and  finding  the  water  had  spent  itself,  and  began 
to  return,  I  struck  forward  against  the  return  of  the  waves,  and  felt  ground  again  with 
my  feet.  I  stood  still  a  few  moments  to  recover  breath,  and  till  the  waters  went 
from  me,  and  then  took  to  my  heels,  and  ran  with  what  strength  I  had,  farther 
towards  the  shore.  But  neither  would  this  deliver  me  from  the  fury  of  the  sea, 
which  came  pouring  in  after  me  again ;  and  twice  more  I  was  lifted  up  by  the 
waves  and  carried  forwards  as  before,  the  shore  being  very  flat. 


7    ESPIED   A   SMALL   PIECE  OF   ROPE.' 


(See  />.  35.) 


Safe  on  Shore. 


33 


The  last  time  of  these  two  had  well-nigh  been  fatal  to  me ;  for  the  sea  having 
hurried  me  along,  as  before,  landed  me,  or  rather  dashed  me,  against  a  piece  of 
a  rock,  and  that  with  such  force  as  it  left  me  senseless,  and  indeed  helpless,  as  to  my 
own  deliverance ;  for  the  blow,  taking  my  side  and  breast,  beat  the  breath  as  it  were 
quite  out  of  my  body ;  and  had  it  returned  again  immediately,  I  must  have  been 
strangled  in  the  water ;  but  I  recovered  a  little  before  the  return  of  the  waves,  and 
seeing  I  should  be  covered  again  with  the  water,  I  resolved  fo  hold  fast  by  a  piece  of 
the  rock,  and  so  to  hold  my  breath,  if  possible,  till  the  wave  went  back.  Now,  as  the 
waves  were  not  so  high  as  at  first,  being  nearer  land,  I  held  my  hold  till  the  wave 
abated,  and  then  fetched  another  run,  which  brought  me  so  near  the  shore  that  the 
next  wave,  though  it  went  over  me,  yet  did  not  so  swallow  me  up  as  to  carry  me  away ;  • 
and  the  next  run  I  took  I  got  to  the  mainland ;  where,  to  my  great  comfort,  I 
clambered  up  the  cliffs  of  the  shore,  and  sat  me  down  upon  the  grass,  free  from  danger 
and  quite  out  of  the  reach  of  the  water. 

I  was  now  landed,  and  safe  on  shore,  and  began  to  look  up  and  thank  God  that  my 
life  was  saved,  in  a  case  wherein  there  was  some  minutes  before  scarce  any  room  to 
hope.  I  believe  it  is  impossible  to  express,  to  the  life,  what  the  ecstasies  and  transports 
of  the  soul  are  when  it  is  so  saved,  as  I  may  say,  out  of  the  very  grave  :  and  I  do  not 
wonder  now  at  that  custom,  when  a  malefactor,  who  has  the  halter  about  his  neck,  is 
tied  up,  and  just  going  to  be  turned  off,  and  has  a  reprieve  brought  to  him — I  say,  I 
do  not  wonder  that  they  bring  a  surgeon  with  it,  to  let  him  blood  that  very  moment 
they  tell  him  of  it,  that  the  surprise  may  not  drive  the  animal  spirits  from  the  heart, 
and  overwhelm  him. 

"  For  sudden  joys,   like  griefs,   confound  at  first." 

I  walked  about  on  the  shore,  lifting  up  my  hands,  and  my  whole  being,  as  I  may 
say,  wrapt  up  in  a  contemplation  of  my  deliverance  ;  making  a  thousand  gestures  and 
motions,  which  I  cannot  describe  ;  reflecting  upon  all  my  comrades  that  were  drowned, 
and  that  there  should  not  be  one  soul  saved  but  myself ;   for,  as  for  them,  I  never  saw 


SHOES    THAT   WERE   NOT    FELLOWS  "    (/.   34). 


34  Robinson  Crusoe. 

them  afterwards,  or  any  sign  of  them,  except  three  of  their  hats,  one  cap,  and  two  shoes 
that  were  not  fellows. 

I  cast  my  eyes  to  the  stranded  vessel,  when,  the  breach  and  froth  of  the  sea  being 
so  big,  I  could  hardly  see  it,  it  lay  so  far  off ;  and  considered,  Lord !  how  was  it 
possible  I  could  get  on  shore? 

After  I  had  solaced  my  mind  with  the  comfortable  part  of  my  condition,  I  began 
to  look  round  me,  to  see  what  kind  of  place  I  was  in,  and  what  was  next  to  be  done : 
and  I  soon  found  my  comforts  abate,  and  that,  in  a  word,  I  had  a  dreadful  deliverance  : 
for  I  was  wet,  had  no  clothes  to  shift  me,  nor  anything  either  to  eat  or  drink,  to 
comfort  me  ;  neither  did  I  see  any  prospect  before  me  but  that  of  perishing  with 
hunger,  or  being  devoured  by  wild  beasts  :  and  that  which  was  particularly  afflicting  to 
me  was,  that  I  had  no  weapon,  either  to  hunt  and  kill  any  creature  for  my  sustenance, 
or  to  defend  myself  against  any  other  creature  that  might  desire  to  kill  me  for  theirs. 
In  a  word,  I  had  nothing  about  me  but  a  knife,  a  tobacco-pipe,  and  a  little  tobacco  in  a 
box.  This  was  all  my  provision  ;  and  this  threw  me  into  terrible  agonies  of  mind,  that 
for  awhile  I  ran  about  like  a  madman.  Night  coming  upon  me,  I  began,  with  a  heavy 
heart,  to  consider  what  would  be  my  lot  if  there  were  any  ravenous  beasts  in  that 
country,  seeing  at  night  they  always  come  abroad  for  their  prey. 

All  the  remedy  that  offered  to  my  thoughts,  at  that  time,  Avas  to  get  up  into  a  thick 
bushy  tree,  like  a  fir,  but  thorny,  which  grew  near  me,  and  where  I  resolved  to  sit  all 
night,  and  consider  the  next  day  what  death  I  should  die,  for  as  yet  I  saw  no  prospect 
of  life.  I  walked  about  a  furlong  from  the  shore,  to  see  if  I  could  find  any  fresh  water 
to  drink,  which  I  did  to  my  great  joy ;  and  having  drunk,  and  put  a  little  tobacco  in 
my  mouth  to  prevent  hunger,  I  went  to  the  tree,  and  getting  up  into  it,  endeavored 
to  place  myself  so  that  if  I  should  sleep  I  might  not  fall.  And  having  cut  me  a  short 
stick,  like  a  truncheon,  for  my  defense,  I  took  up  my  lodging ;  and  being  excessively 
fatigued,  I  fell  fast  asleep,  and  slept  as  comfortably  as,  I  believe,  few  could  have  done 
in  my  condition,  and  found  myself  more  refreshed  with  it  than  I  think  I  ever  was  on 
such  an  occasion. 

When  I  waked  it  was  broad  day,  the  weather  clear,  and  the  storm  abated,  so  that 
the  sea  did  not  rage  and  swell  as  before  ;  but  that  which  surprised  me  most  was,  that 
the  ship  was  lifted  off  in  the  night  from  the  sand  where  she  lay,  by  the  swelling  of  the 
tide,  and  was  driven  up  almost  as  far  as  the  rock  which  I  at  first  mentioned,  where  I 
had  been  so  bruised  by  the  wave  dashing  me  against  it.  This  being  within  about  a 
mile  from  the  shore  where  I  was,  and  the  ship  seeming  to  stand  upright  still,  I  wished 
myself  on  board,  that  at  least  I  might  save  some  necessary  things  for  my  use. 

When  I  came  down  from  my  apartment  in  the  tree,  I  looked  about  me  again,  and 
the  first  thing  I  found  was  the  boat,  which  lay,  as  the  wind  and  sea  had  tossed  her  up, 
upon  the  land,  about  two  miles  on  my  right  hand.  I  walked  as  far  as  I  could  upon 
the  shore  to  have  got  to  her ;  but  found  a  neck,  or  inlet,  of  water  between  me  and  the 
boat,  which  was  about  half  a  mile  broad  ;  so  I  came  back  for  the  present,  being  more 
intent  upon  getting  at  the  ship,  where  I  hoped  to  find  something  for  my  present 
subsistence. 

A  little  after  neon  I  found  the  sea  very  calm,  and  the  tide  ebbed  so  far  out,  that 


A    Visit  to  the  Wreck.  35 

I  could  come  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  ship.  And  here  I  found  a  fresh 
renewing  of  my  grief ;  for  I  saw  evidently  that  if  we  had  kept  on  board,  we  had  been 
all  safe :  that  is  to  say,  we  had  all  got  safe  on  shore,  and  I  had  not  been  so  miserable 
as  to  be  left  entirely  destitute  of  all  comfort  and  company,  as  I  now  was.  This  forced 
tears  to  my  eyes  again ;  but  as  there  was  little  relief  in  that,  I  resolved,  if  possible,  to 
get  to  the  ship  ;  so  I  pulled  off  my  clothes,  for  the  weather  was  hot  to  extremity,  and 
took  the  water.  But  when  I  came  to  the  ship,  my  difficulty  was  still  greater  to  know 
how  to  get  on  board ;  for,  as  she  lay  aground,  and  high  out  of  the  water,  there  was 
nothing  within  my  reach  to  lay  hold  of.  I  swam  round  her  twice,  and  the  second 
time  I  espied  a  small  piece  of  rope,  which  I  wondered  I  did  not  see  at  first,  hanging 
down  by  the  fore-chains  so  low  that,  with  great  difficulty,  I  got  hold  of  it,  and  by  the 
help  of  that  rope  got  up  into  the  forecastle  of  the  ship.  Here  I  found  that  the  ship 
was  bulged,  and  had  a  great  deal  of  water  in  her  hold  ;  but  that  she  lay  so  on  the  side 
of  a  bank  of  hard  sand,  or  rather  earth,  that  her  stern  lay  lifted  up  upon  the  bank,  and 
her  head  low,  almost  to  the  water.  By  this  means  all  her  quarter  was  free,  and  all 
that  was  in  that  part  was  dry  ;  for  you  may  be  sure  my  first  work  was  to  search,  and  to 
see  what  was  spoiled  and  what  was  free.  And,  first,  I  found  that  all  the  ship's 
provisions  were  dry  and  untouched  by  the  water,  and  being  very  well  disposed  to  eat, 
I  went  to  the  bread-room,  and  filled  my  pockets  with  biscuit,  and  ate  it  as  I  went 
about  other  things,  for  I  had  no  time  to  lose.  I  also  found  some  rum  in  the  great 
cabin,  of  which  I  took  a  large  dram,  and  which  I  had,  indeed,  need  enough  of  to 
spirit  me  for  what  was  before  me.  Now  I  wanted  nothing  but  a  boat,  to  furnish  myself 
with  many  things  which  I  foresaw  would  be  very  necessary  to  me. 

It  was  in  vain  to  sit  still  and  wish  for  what  was  not  to  be  had ;  and  this  extremity 
roused  my  application.  We  had  several  spare  yards,  and  two  or  three  large  spars  of 
wood,  and  a  spare  topmast  or  two  in  the  ship :  I  resolved  to  fall  to  work  with  these, 
and  I  flung  as  many  of  them  overboard  as  I  could  manage  for  their  weight,  tying  every 
one  with  a  rope,  that  they  might  not  drive  away.  When  this  was  done  I  went  down 
the  ship's  side,  and  pulling  them  to  me  I  tied  four  of  them  together  at  both  ends,  as 
well  as  I  could,  in  the  form  of  a  raft,  and  laying  two  or  three  short  pieces  of  plank 
upon  them,  crossways,  I  found  I  could  walk  upon  it  very  well,  but  that  it  was  not 
able  to  bear  any  great  weight,  the  pieces  being  too  light.  So  I  went  to  work,  and  with 
the  carpenter's  saw  I  cut  a  spare  topmast  into  three  lengths,  and  added  them  to  my 
raft,  with  a  great  deal  of  labor  and  pains.  But  the  hope  of  furnishing  myself  with 
necessaries  encouraged  me  to  go  beyond  what  I  should  have  been  able  to  have  done 
upon  another  occasion. 

My  raft  was  now  strong  enough  to  bear  any  reasonable  weight.  My  next  care  was 
what  to  load  it  with,  and  how  to  preserve  what  I  laid  upon  it  fronrthe  surf  of  the  sea : 
but  I  was  not  long  considering  this.  I  first  laid  all  the  planks  or  boards  upon  it  that 
I  could  get,  and  having  considered  well  what  I  most  wanted,  I  first  got  three  of 
the  seamen's  chests,  which  I  had  broken  open  and  emptied,  and  lowered  them  down 
upon  my  raft ;  the  first  of  these  I  filled  with  provisions — viz.,  bread,  rice,  three  Dutch 
cheeses,  five  pieces  of  dried  goat's  flesh  (which  we  lived  much  upon),  and  a  little 
remainder  of  European  corn,  which  had  been  laid  by  for  some  fowls  which  we  brought 


36 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


to  sea  with  us,  but  the  fowls 
were  killed.  There  had  been 
some  barley  and  wheat  to- 
gether ;  but,  to  my  great  dis- 
appointment, I  found  after- 
wards that  the  rats  had  eaten 
or  spoiled  it  all.  As  for 
liquors,  I  found  several  cases 
of  bottles  belonging  to  our 
skipper,  in  which  were  some  cordial 
waters ;  and,  in  all,  about  five  or  six 
gallons  of  arrack.  These  I  stowed  by 
themselves,  there  being  no  need  to 
put  them  into  the  chest,  nor  any  room 
for  them.  While  I  was  doing  this,  I 
found  the  tide  began  to  flow,  though 
very  calm ;  and  I  had  the  mortifica- 
tion to  see  my  coat,  shirt,  and  waistcoat, 
which  I  had  left  on  shore  upon  the  sand, 
swim  away.  As  for  my  breeches,  which 
were  only  linen,  and  open-kneed,  I  swam  on  board  in  them  and  my  stockings. 
However,  this  put  me  upon  rummaging  for  clothes,  of  which  I  found  enough,  but  took 
no  more  than  I  wanted  for  present  use,  for  I  had  other  things  which  my  eye  was  more 
upon ;  as,  first,  tools  to  work  with  on  shore :  and  it  was  after  long  searching  that  I 
found  out  the  carpenter's  chest,  which  was  indeed  a  very  useful  prize  to  me,  and  much 
more  valuable  than  a  ship-lading  of  gold  would  have  been  at  that  time.  I  got  it  down 
to  my  raft,  whole  as  it  was,  without  losing  time  to  look  into  it,  for  I  knew  in  general 
what  it  contained. 


I    FELL   FAST   ASLEEP  "    (/>.   34). 


Loading  the  Raft.  37 

My  next  care  was  for  some  ammunition  and  arms.  There  were  two  very  good 
fowling-pieces  in  the  great  cabin,  and  two  pistols.  These  I  secured  first,  with  some 
powder-horns,  a  small  bag  of  shot,  and  two  old  rusty  swords.  I  knew  there  were  three 
barrels  of  powder  in  the  ship,  but  knew  not  where  our  gunner  had  stowed  them ;  but 
with  much  search  I  found  them,  two  of  them  dry  and  good,  the  third  had  taken  water. 
Those  two  I  got  to  my  raft,  with  the  arms.  And  now  I  thought  myself  pretty  well 
freighted,  and  began  to  think  how  I  should  get  to  shore  with  them,  having  neither  sail, 
oar,  nor  rudder ;   and  the  least  capful  of  wind  would  have  overset  all  my  navigation. 

I  had  three  encouragements :  first,  a  smooth,  calm  sea ;  secondly,  the  tide  rising, 
and  setting  in  to  the  shore  ;  thirdly,  what  little  wind  there  was  blew  me  towards  the 
land.  And  thus,  having  found  two  or  three  broken  oars,  belonging  to  the  boat,  and 
besides  the  tools  which  were  in  the  chest,  two  saws,  an  axe,  and  a  hammer,  with  this 
cargo  I  put  to  sea.  For  a  mile,  or  thereabouts,  my  raft  went  very  well,  only  that  I 
found  it  drive  a  little  distant  from  the  place  where  I  had  landed  before :  by  which  I 
perceived  that  there  was  some  indraught  of  the  water,  and  consequently,  I  hoped  to 
find  some  creek  or  river  there,  which  I  might  make  use  of  as  a  port  to  get  to  land  with 
my  cargo. 

As  I  imagined,  so  it  was.  There  appeared  before  me  a  little  opening  of  the  land. 
I  found  a  strong  current  of  the  tide  set  into  it ;  so  I  guided  my  raft  as  well  as  I  could, 
to  keep  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 

But  here  I  had  like  to  have  suffered  a  second  shipwreck,  which,  if  I  had,  I  think 
verily  would  have  broken  my  heart ;  for,  knowing  nothing  of  the  coast,  my  raft  ran 
aground  at  one  end  of  it  upon  a  shoal,  and  not  being  aground  at  the  other  end,  it 
wanted  but  a  little  that  all  my  cargo  had  slipped  off  towards  the  end  that  was  afloat, 
and  so  fallen  into  the  water.  I  did  my  utmost,  by  setting  my  back  against  the  chests, 
to  keep  them  in  their  places,  but  could  not  thrust  off  the  raft  with  all  my  strength ; 
neither  durst  I  stir  from  the  posture  I  was  in ;  but  holding  up  the  chests  with  all  my 
might,  I  stood  in  that  manner  near  half  an  hour,  in  which  time  the  rising  of  the  water 
brought  me  a  little  more  upon  a  level ;  and  a  little  after,  the  water  still  rising,  my  raft 
floated  again,  and  I  thrust  her  off  with  the  oar  I  had  into  the  channel,  and  then  driving 
up  higher,  I  at  length  found  myself  in  the  mouth  of  a  little  river,  with  land  on  both 
sides,  and  a  strong  current  or  tide  running  up.  I  looked  on  both  sides  for  a  proper 
place  to  get  to  shore,  for  I  was  not  willing  to  be  driven  too  high  up  the  river ;  hoping 
in  time  to  see  some  ship  at  sea,  and  therefore  resolved  to  place  myself  as  near  the 
coast  as  I  could. 

At  length  I  spied  a  little  cove  on  the  right  shore  of  the  creek,  to  which,  with  great 
pain  and  difficulty,  I  guided  my  raft,  and  at  last  got  so  near,  that  reaching  ground  with 
my  oar,  I  could  thrust  her  directly  in.  But  here  I  had  like  to  have  dipped  all  my 
cargo  into  the  sea  again ;  for  that  shore  lying  pretty  steep — that  is  to  say,  sloping — 
there  was  no  place  to  land  but  where  one  end  of  my  float,  if  it  ran  on  shore,  would 
lie  so  high,  and  the  other  sink  lower,  as  before,  that  it  would  endanger  my  cargo  again. 
All  that  I  could  do  was  to  wait  till  the  tide  was  at  the  highest,  keeping  the  raft  with  my 
oar  like  an  anchor,  to  hold  the  side  of  it  fast  to  the  shore,  near  a  flat  piece  of  ground, 
which  I  expected  the  water  would  flow  over ;   and  so  it  did.     As  soon  as  I  found  water 


38  Robinson  Crusoe. 

enough,  for  my  raft  drew  about  a  foot  of  water,  I  thrust  her  upon  that  flad  piece  of 
ground,  and  there  fastened  or  moored  her,  by  sticking  my  two  broken  oars  into  the 
ground — one  on  one  side,  near  one  end,  and  one  on  the  other  side,  near  the  other 
end  ;  and  thus  I  lay  till  the  water  ebbed  away,  and  left  my  raft  and  all  my  cargo  safe 
on  shore. 

My  next  work  was  to  view  the  country,  and  seek  a  proper  place  for  my  habitation, 
and  where  to  stow  my  goods,  to  secure  them  from  whatever  might  happen.  Where  I 
was,  I  yet  knew  not ;  whether  on  the  continent  or  an  island  ;  whether  inhabited  or  not 
inhabited ;  whether  in  danger  of  wild  beasts  or  not.  There  was  a  hill  not  above  a 
mile  from  me,  which  rose  up  very  steep  and  high,  and  which  seemed  to  overtop  some 
other  hills,  which  lay  as  in  a  ridge  from  it,  northward.  I  took  out  one  of  the  fowling- 
pieces,  and  one  of  the  pistols,  and  a  horn  of  powder ;  and  thus  armed,  I  traveled  for 
discovery  up  to  the  top  of  that  hill,  where,  after  I  had  with  great  labor  and  difficulty 
got  to  the  top,  I  saw  my  fate,  to  my  great  affliction — viz.,  that  I  was  in  an  island 
environed  every  way  with  the  sea  :  no  land  to  be  seen  except  some  rocks,  which  lay  a 
great  way  off,  and  two  small  islands,  less  than  this,  which  lay  about  three  leagues  to 
the  west. 

I  found  also  that  the  island  I  was  in  was  barren,  and,  as  I  saw  good  reason  to 
believe,  uninhabited,  except  by  wild  beasts,  of  which,  however,  I  saw  none.  Yet  I  saw 
abundance  of  fowls,  but  knew  not  their  kinds  ;  neither,  when  I  killed  them,  could  I 
tell  what  was  fit  for  food,  and  what  not.  At  my  coming  back,  I  shot  at  a  great 
bird,  which  I  saw  sitting  upon  a  tree,  on  the  side  of  a  great  wood.  I  believe  it  was 
the  first  gun  that  had  been  fired  there  since  the  creation  of  the  world.  I  had  no 
sooner  fired  but  from  all  parts  of  the  wood  there  arose  an  innumerable  number  of 
fowls  of  many  sorts,  making  a  confused  screaming  and  crying,  every  one  according  to 
his  usual  note,  but  not  one  of  them  of  any  kind  that  I  knew.  As  for  the  creature  I 
killed,  I  took  it  to  be  a  kind  of  hawk,  its  color  and  beak  resembling  it,  but  it  had 
no  talons  or  claws  more  than  common.     Its  flesh  was  carrion,  and  fit  for  nothing. 

Contented  with  this  discovery,  I  came  back  to  my  raft,  and  fell  to  work  to  bring 
my  cargo  on  shore,  which  took  me  up  the  rest  of  the  day :  what  to  do  with  myself  at 
night  I  knew  not,  nor  indeed  where  to  rest,  for  I  was  afraid  to  lie  down  on  the  ground, 
not  knowing  but  some  wild  beast  might  devour  me ;  though,  as  I  afterwards  found, 
there  was  really  no  need  for  those  fears. 

However,  as  well  as  I  could,  I  barricaded  myself  round  with  the  chests  and  boards 
that  I  had  brought  on  shore,  and  made  a  kind  of  hut  for  that  night's  lodging.  As  for 
food,  I  yet  saw  not  which  way  to  supply  myself,  except  that  I  had  seen  two  or  three 
creatures,  like  hares,  run  out  of  the  wood  where  I  shot  the  fowl. 

I  now  began  to  consider  that  I  might  yet  get  a  great  many  things  out  of  the  ship 
which  would  be  useful  to  me,  and  particularly  some  of  the  rigging  and  sails,  and  such 
other  things  as  might  come  to  land  ;  and  I  resolved  to  make  another  voyage  on  board 
the  vessel,  if  possible.  And  as  I  knew  that  the  first  storm  that  blew  must  necessarily 
break  her  all  in  pieces,  I  resolved  to  set  all  other  things  apart,  till  I  got  everything  out 
of  the  ship  that  I  could  get.  Then  I  called  a  council — that  is  to  say,  in  my  thoughts — 
whether  I  should  take  back  the  raft,  but  this  appeared  impracticable  :   so  I  resolved  to 


A  Second  Cargo.  39 

go  as  before,  when  the  tide  was  down  ;  and  I  did  so,  only  that  I  stripped  before  I  went 
from  my  hut,  having  nothing  on  but  a  checkered  shirt,  a  pair  of  linen  drawers,  and  a 
pair  of  pumps  on  my  feet. 

I  got  on  board  the  ship  as  before,  and  prepared  a  second  raft ;  and,  having  had 
experience  of  the  first,  I  neither  made  this  so  unwieldy,  nor  loaded  it  so  hard,  but  yet 
I  brought  away  several  things  very  useful  to  me ;  as,  first,  in  the  carpenter's  stores  I 
found  two  or  three  bags  full  of  nails  and  spikes,  a  great  screw-jack,  a  dozen  or  two  of 
hatchets,  and,  above  all,  that  most  useful  thing  called  a  grindstone.  All  these  I 
secured,  together  with  several  things  belonging  to  the  gunner,  particularly  two  or  three 
iron  crows,  and  two  barrels  of  musket  bullets,  seven  muskets,  and  another  fowling- 
piece,  with  some  small  quantity  of  powder  more  ;  a  large  bag  full  of  small  shot,  and  a 
great  roll  of  sheet  lead ;  but  this  last  was  so  heavy  I  could  not  hoist  it  up  to  get  it 
over  the  ship's  side. 

Besides  these  things,  I  took  all  the  men's  clothes  that  I  could  find,  and  a  spare  fore- 
topsail,  a  hammock,  and  some  bedding ;  and  with  this  I  loaded  my  second  raft,  and 
brought  them  all  safe  on  shore,  to  my  very  great  comfort. 

I  was  under  some  apprehension  during  my  absence  from  the  land,  that  at  least  my 
provisions  might  be  devoured  on  shore ;  but  when  I  came  back  I  found  no  sign  of 
any  visitor ;  only  there  sat  a  creature  like  a  wild  cat  upon  one  of  the  chests,  which, 
when  I  came  towards  it,  ran  away  a  little  distance,  and  then  stood  still.  She  sat  very 
composed  and  unconcerned,  and  looked  full  in  my  face,  as  if  she  had  a  mind  to  be 
acquainted  with  me.  I  presented  my  gun  to  her,  but,  as  she  did  not  understand  it,  she 
was  perfectly  unconcerned  at  it,  nor  did  she  offer  to  stir  away ;  upon  which  I  tossed 
her  a  bit  of  biscuit,  though,  by  the  way,  I  was  not  very  free  of  it,  for  my  store  was  not 
great ;  however,  I  spared  her  a  bit,  I  say,  and  she  went  to  it,  smelled  at  it,  and  ate  it, 
and  looked  (as  pleased)  for  more ;  but  I  thanked  her,  and  could  spare  no  more :  so 
she  marched  off. 

Having  got  my  second  cargo  on  shore — though  I  was  obliged  to  open  the  barrels 
of  powder,  and  bring  them  by  parcels,  for  they  were  too  heavy,  being  large  casks — I 
went  to  work  to  make  me  a  little  tent,  with  the  sail,  and  some  poles  which  I  cut  for 
that  purpose  ;  and  into  this  tent  I  brought  everything  that  I  knew  would  spoil  either 
with  rain  or  sun ;  and  I  piled  all  the  empty  chests  and  casks  up  in  a  circle  round  the 
tent,  to  fortify  it  from  any  sudden  attempt,  either  from  man  or  beast. 

When  I  had  done  this,  I  blocked  up  the  door  of  the  tent  with  some  boards  within, 
and  an  empty  chest  set  up  on  end  without ;  and  spreading  one  of  the  beds  upon  the 
ground,  laying  my  two  pistols  just  at  my  head,  and  my  gun  at  length  by  me,  I  went  to 
bed  for  the  first  time,  and  slept  very  quietly  all  night.  I  was  very  weary  and  heavy ; 
for  the  night  before  I  had  slept  little,  and  had  labored  very  hard  all  day,  as  well  to 
fetch  those  things  from  the  ship,  as  to  get  them  on  shore. 

I  had  the  biggest  magazine  of  all  kinds  now  that  ever  was  laid  up,  I  believe,  for  one 
man ;  but  still  I  was  not  satisfied,  for  while  the  ship  sat  upright  in  that  posture,  I 
thought  I  ought  to  get  everything  out  of  her  that  I  could  ;  so  every  day,  at  low  water, 
I  went  on  board,  and  brought  away  something  or  other ;  but  particularly  the  third 
time  I  went,  I   brought  away  as  much  of  the  rigging  as  I  could,  as  also  all  the 


4o 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


small  ropes  and 

rope     twine     I  7U^* 

could   get,   with  >^| 

a  piece  of  spare 

canvas,  which  was  to  mend  the  sails  upon 

occasion,  and  the  barrel  of  wet  gunpowder. 

In  a  word,  I  brought  away  all  the  sails, 

first  and  last ;    only  that  I  was  fain  to  cut 

them  in  pieces,  and  bring  as  much  at  a 

time  as  I  could,  for  they  were  no  more 

useful  to  me  for  sails,  but  as  mere  canvas 

only. 

But   that  which  comforted  me  more 
still  was   that   at   last  of  all,  after  I  had 
made  five  or  six  such  voyages  as  these, 
and  thought   I  had  nothing  more  to  ex- 
pect from  the   ship  that  was  worth  my 
meddling  with  —  I   say,   after  all  this,  I 
found  a  great  hogshead  of  bread,  three 
large  runlets  of  rum,  or  spirits,  a  box  of 
fine  sugar,  and  a  barrel  of  fine  flout' :  this 
was      surprising 
to   me,   because 
I  had  given  over 
expecting      any 
more   provisions 
except  what  was 
spoiled    by    the 
water.     I    soon 
emptied    the 
hogshead  of  the 
bread,  and  wrap- 
ped it  up,  parcel 
by     parcel,      in 
pieces     of     the 
sails,  which  I  cut 
out ;    and,   in   a 
word,   I   got  all 
this  safe  on  shore 
also,   though    at 
several  times. 

The  next  day 
f  made  another 
Voyage,     and 


yw$TV$f 


a  confused  screaming 
crying"  {/>.  38). 


The  Last  of  the  Ship.  41 

now,  having  plundered  the  ship  of  what  was  portable  and  fit  to  hand  out,  I 
began  with  the  cable ;  cutting  the  great  cable  into  pieces  such  as  I  could  move,  I 
got  two  cables  and  a  hawser  on  shore,  with  all  the  iron-work  I  could  get ;  and 
having  cut  down  the  spritsail  yard,  and  the  mizzen  yard,  and  everything  I  could  to 
make  a  large  raft,  I  loaded  it  with  all  those  heavy  goods  and  came  away.  But  my 
good  luck  began  to  leave  me,  for  this  raft  was  so  unwieldy,  and  so  overladen,  that 
.  after  I  was  entered  the  little  cove,  where  I  had  landed  the  rest  of  my  goods,  not  being 
able  to  guide  it  so  handily  as  I  did  the  other,  it  overset,  and  threw  me  and  all  my 
cargo  into  the  water.  As  for  myself,  it  was  no  great  harm,  for  I  was  near  the 
shore ;  but  as  to  my  cargo,  it  was  great  part  of  it  lost,  especially  the  iron,  which  I 
expected  would  have  been  of  great  use  to  me ;  however,  when  the  tide  was  out,  I 
got  most  of  the  pieces  of  cable  ashore,  and  some  of  the  iron,  though  with  infinite 
labor ;  for  I  was  fain  to  dip  for  it  into  the  water,  a  work  which  fatigued  me  very  much. 
After  this,  I  went  every  day  on  board,  and  brought  away  what  I  could  get. 

I  had  now  been  thirteen  days  on  shore,  and  had  been  eleven  times  on  board  the 
ship,  in  which  time  I  had  brought  away  all  that  one  pair  of  hands  could  well  be  sup- 
posed capable  of  bringing ;  though  I  verily  believe,  had  the  calm  weather  held,  I 
should  have  brought  away  the  whole  ship,  piece  by  piece ;  but  preparing  the  twelfth 
time  to  go  on  board,  I  found  the  wind  began  to  rise..  However,  at  low  water  I  went  on 
board,  and  though  I  thought  I  had  rummaged  the  cabin  so  effectually  that  nothing 
more  could  be  found,  yet  I  discovered  a  locker  with  drawers  in  it,  in  one  of  which  I 
found  two  or'  three  razors,  and  one  pair  of  large  scissors,  with  some  ten  or  a  dozen  of 
good  knives  and  forks ;  in  another  I  found  about  thirty-six  pounds  value  in  money — 
some  European  coin,  some  Brazil,  some  pieces  of  eight,  some  gold,  and  some  silver. 

I  smiled  to  myself  at  the  sight  of  this  money.  "  Oh,  drug  !  "  said  I  aloud,  "  what 
art  thou  good  for?  Thou  art  not  worth  to  me — no,  not  the  taking  off  the  ground  ;  one 
of  those  knives  is  worth  all  this  heap  ;  I  have  no  manner  of  use  for  thee  ;  e'en  remain 
where  thou  art,  and  go  to  the  bottom,  as  a  creature  whose  life  is  not  worth  saving." 
However,  upon  second  thoughts,  I  took  it  away  ;  and  wrapping  all  in  a  piece  of  canvas, 
I  began  to  think  of  making  another  raft ;  but  while  I  was  preparing  this,  I  found  the 
sky  overcast,  and  the  wind  began  to  rise,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  it  blew  a  fresh  gale 
from  the  shore.  It  presently  occurred  to  me  that  it  was  in  vain  to  pretend  to  make  a 
raft  with  the  wind  off  shore  ;  and  that  it  was  my  business  to  be  gone  before  the  tide  of 
flood  began,  otherwise  I  might  not  be  able  to  reach  the  shore  at  all.  Accordingly,  I 
let  myself  down  into  the  water,  and  swam  across  the  channel  which  lay  between  the 
ship  and  the  sands,  and  even  that  with  difficulty  enough,  partly  with  the  weight  of  the 
things  I  had  about  me,  and  partly  from  the  roughness  of  the  water ;  for  the  wind  rose 
very  hastily,  and  before  it  was  quite  high  water  it  blew  a  storm. 

But  I  was  gotten  home  to  my  little  tent,  where  I  lay,  with  all  my  wealth  about  me 
very  secure.  It  blew  very  hard  all  that  night,  and  in  the  morning,  when  I  looked  out, 
behold,  no  more  ship  was  to  be  seen.  I  was  a  little  surprised,  but  recovered  myself 
with  this  satisfactory  reflection,  that  I  had  lost  no  time,  nor  abated  any  diligence,  to 
get  everything  out  of  her  that  could  be  useful  to  me  ;  and  that,  indeed,  there  was  little 
left  in  her  that  I  was  able  to  bring  away,  if  I  had  had  more  time. 


42  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  now  gave  over  any  more  thoughts  of  the  ship,  or  of  anything  out  of  her,  except 
what  might  drive  on  shore  from  her  wreck  ;  as,  indeed,  divers  pieces  of  her  afterwards 
did ;  but  those  things  were  of  small  use  to  me. 

My  thoughts  were  now  wholly  employed  about  securing  myself  against  either 
savages,  if  any  should  appear,  or  wild  beasts,  if  any  were  in  the  island ;  and  I  had 
many  thoughts  of  the  method  how  to  do  this,  and  what  kind  of  dwelling  to  make — 
whether  I  should  make  me  a  cave  in  the  earth,  or  a  tent  upon  the  earth  ;  and,  in  short, 
I  resolved  upon  both  ;  the  manner  and  description  of  which  it  may  not  be  improper  to 
give  an  account  of. 

I  soon  found  the  place  I  was  in  was  not  fit  for  my  settlement,  particularly  because 
it  was  upon  a  low  moorish  ground  near  the  sea,  and  I  believed  would  not  be  whole- 
some, and  more  particularly  because  there  was  no  fresh  water  near  it ;  so  I  resolved  to 
find  a  more  healthy  and  more  convenient  spot  of  ground. 

I  consulted  several  things  in  my  situation,  which  I  found  would  be  proper  for  me  ; 
first,  health  and  fresh  water,  I  just  now  mentioned  ;  secondly,  shelter  from  the  heat  of 
the  sun  ;  thirdly,  security  from  ravenous  creatures,  whether  man  or  beast ;  fourthly,  a 
view  to  the  sea,  that  if  God  sent  any  ship  in  sight,  I  might  not  lose  any  advantage  for 
my  deliverance,  of  which  I  was  not  willing  to  banish  my  expectation  yet. 

In  search  of  a  place  proper  for  this,  I  found  a  little  plain  on  the  side  of  a  rising  hill, 
whose  front  towards  this  little  plain  was  steep  as  a  house-side,  so  that  nothing  could 
come  down  upon  me  from  the  top.  On  the  side  of  the  rock  there  was  a  hollow  place, 
worn  a  little  way  in,  like  the  entrance  or  door  of  a  cave  ;  but  there  was  not  really  any 
cave,  or  way  into  the  rock,  at  all. 

On  the  flat  of  the  green,  just  below  this  hollow  place,  I  resolved  to  pitch  my  tent. 
This  plain  was  not  above  a  hundred  yards  broad,  and  about  twice  as  long,  and  lay  like 
a  green  before  my  door ;  and,  at  the  end  of  it,  descended  irregularly  every  way  down 
into  the  low  ground  by  the  sea-side.  It  was  on  the  N.N.W.  side  of  the  hill ;  so  that 
it  was  sheltered  from  the  heat  every  day,  till  it  came  to  the  W.  and  by  S.  sun  or 
thereabouts,  which,  in  those  countries,  is  near  the  setting. 

Before  I  set  up  my  tent,  I  drew  a  half-circle  before  the  hollow  place,  which  took  in 
about  ten  yards  in  its  semi-diameter  from  the  rock,  and  twenty  yards  in  its  diameter 
from  its  beginning  and  ending. 

In  this  half-circle  I  pitched  two  rows  of  strong  stakes,  driving  them  into  the  ground 
till  they  stood  very  firm  like  piles,  the  biggest  end  being  out  of  the  ground  above  five 
feet  and  a  half,  and  sharpened  on  the  top.  The  two  rows  did  not  stand  above  six 
inches  from  one  another. 

Then  I  took  the  pieces  of  cable  which  I  had  cut  in  the  ship,  and  laid  them  in  rows, 
upon  one  another,  within  the  circle,  between  these  two  rows  of  stakes,  up  to  the  top, 
placing  other  stakes  in  the  inside,  leaning  against  them,  about  two  feet  and  a  half  high, 
like  a  spur  to  a  post ;  and  this  fence  was  so  strong  that  neither  man  nor  beast  could 
get  into  it  or  over  it.  This  cost  me  a  great  deal  of  time  and  labor,  especially  to  cut 
the  piles  in  the  woods,  bring  them  to  the  place,  and  drive  them  into  the  earth. 

The  entrance  into  this  place  I  made  to  be,  not  by  a  door,  but  by  a  short  ladder  to 
go  over  the  top ;   which  ladder,  when  I  was  in,  I  lifted  over  after  me ;   and  so  I  was 


My  Fortress.  43 

completely  fenced  in  and  fortified,  as  I  thought,  from  all  the  world,  and  consequently 
slept  secure  in  the  night,  which  otherwise  I  could  not  have  done ;  though,  as  it 
appeared  afterwards,  there  was  no  need  of  all  this  caution  from  the  enemies  that  I 
apprehended  danger  from. 

Into  this  fence,  or  fortress,  with  infinite  labor,  I  carried  all  my  riches,  all  my 
provisions,  ammunition,  and  stores,  of  which  you  have  the  account  above  ;  and  I  made 
me  a  large  tent  also,  to  preserve  me  from  the  rains,  that  in  one  part  of  the  year  are 
very  violent  there.  I  made  it  double — viz.,  one  smaller  tent  within,  and  one  larger 
tent  above  it ;  and  covered  the  uppermost  part  of  it  with  a  large  tarpaulin,  which  I  had 
saved  among  the  sails. 

And  now  I  lay  no  more  for  awhile  in  the  bed  which  I  had  brought  on  shore,  but 
in  a  hammock,  which  was  indeed  a  very  good  one,  and  belonged  to  the  mate  of  the 
ship. 

Into  this  tent  I  brought  all  my  provisions,  and  everything  that  would  spoil  by  the 
wet ;  and  having  thus  inclosed  all  my  goods,  I  made  up  the  entrance,  which  till  now 
I  had  left  open,  and  so  passed  and  re-passed,  as  I  said,  by  a  short  ladder. 

When  I  had  done  this,  I  began  to  work  my  way  into  the  rock,  and  bringing  all  the 
earth  and  stones  that  I  dug  down  out  through  my  tent,  I  laid  them  up  within  my 
fence,  in  the  nature  of  a  terrace,  so  that  it  raised  the  ground  within  about  a  foot  and  a 
half ;  and  thus  I  made  me  a  cave,  just  behind  my  tent,  which  served  me  like  a  cellar 
to  my  house. 

It  cost  me  much  labor  and  many  days  before  all  these  things  were  brought  to 
perfection ;  and  therefore  I  must  go  back  to  some  other  things  which  took  up  some  of 
my  thoughts.  At  the  same  time  it  occurred,  after  I  had  laid  my  scheme  for  the 
setting  up  the  tent,  and  making  the  cave,  that  a  storm  of  rain  falling  from  a  thick, 
dark  cloud,  a  sudden  flash  of  lightning  happened,  and  after  that,  a  great  clap  of 
thunder,  as  is  naturally  the  effect  of  it.  I  was  not  so  much  surprised  with  the 
lightning,  as  I  was  with  the  thought  which  darted  into  my  mind  as  swift  as  the 
lightning  itself,  "  Oh,  my  powder !  "  My  very  heart  sank  within  me  when  I  thought 
that,  at  one  blast,  all  my  powder  might  be  destroyed ;  on  which  not  my  defense  only, 
but  the  providing  me  food,  as  I  thought,  entirely  depended.  I  was  nothing  near  so 
anxious  about  my  own  danger  ;  though,  had  the  powder  took  fire,  I  had  never  known 
who  had  hurt  me. 

Such  impression  did  this  make  upon  me,  that  after  the  storm  was  over,  I  laid 
aside  all  my  work,  my  building  and  fortifying,  and  applied  myself  to  make  bags 
and  boxes  to  separate  my  powder,  and  to  keep  it  a  little  and  a  little  in  a  parcel,  in 
hopes  that,  whatever  might  come,  it  might  not  all  take  fire  at  once  ;  and  to  keep  it  so 
apart  that  it  should  not  be  possible  to  make  one  part  fire  another.  I  finished  this 
work  in  about  a  fortnight ;  and  I  think  my  powder,  which  in  all  was  about  one 
hundred  and  forty  pounds  weight,  was  divided  into  no  less  than  a  hundred  parcels. 
As  to  the  barrel  that  had  been  wet,  I  did  not  apprehend  any  danger  from  that ;  so  I 
placed  it  in  my  new  cave,  which,  in  my  fancy,  I  called  my  kitchen ;  and  the  rest  I  hid 
up  and  down  in  holes  among  the  rocks,  so  that  no  wet  might  come  to  it,  marking  very 
carefully  where  I  laid  it. 


44  Robinson  Crusoe. 

In  the  interval  of  time  while  this  was  doing,  I  went  out  at  least  once  every  day  with 
my  gun,  as  well  to  divert  myself  as  to  see  if  I  could  kill  anything  fit  for  food  ;  and,  as 
near  as  I  could,  to  acquaint  myself  with  what  the  island  produced.  The  first  time  I 
went  out,  I  presently  discovered  that  there  were  goats  in  the  island,  which  was  a  great 
satisfaction  to  me  ;  but  then  it  was  attended  with  this  misfortune  to  me,  viz.,  that  they 
were  so  shy,  so  subtle,  and  so  swift  of  foot,  that  it  was  the  most  difficult  thing  in  the 
world  to  come  at  them ;  but  I  was  not  discouraged  at  this,  not  doubting  but  I 
might  now  and  then  shoot  one,  as  it  soon  happened  ;  for  after  I  had  found  their  haunts 
a  little,  I  laid  wait  in  this  manner  for  them :  I  observed  if  they  saw  me  in  the  valleys, 
though  they  were  upon  the  rocks,  they  would  run  away,  as  in  a  terrible  fright ;  but  if 
they  were  feeding  in  the  valleys,  and  I  was  upon  the  rocks,  they  took  no  notice  of  me  ; 
from  whence  I  concluded  that,  by  the  position  of  their  optics,  their  sight  was  so  directed 
downward  that  they  did  not  readily  see  objects  that  were  above  them;  so  afterwards 
I  took  this  method — I  always  climbed  the  rocks  first,  to  get  above  them,  and  then  had 
frequently  a  fair  mark. 

The  first  shot  I  made  among  these  creatures,  I  killed  a  she-goat,  which  had  a  little 
kid  by  her,  which  she  gave  suck  to,  which  grieved  me  heartily ;  for,  when  the  old  one 
fell,  the  kid  stood  stock-still  by  her,  till  I  came  and  took  her  up  ;  and  not  only  so,  but 
when  I  carried  the  old  one  with  me  upon  my  shoulders,  the  kid  followed  me  quite  to 
my  inclosure  ;  upon  which  I  laid  down  the  dam,  and  took  the  kid  in  my  arms,  and 
carried  it  over  my  pale,  in  hopes  to  have  bred  it  up  tame  ;  but  it  would  not  eat ;  so  I 
was  forced  to  kill  it  and  eat  it  myself.  These  two  supplied  me  with  flesh  a  great  while, 
for  I  ate  sparingly  and  saved  my  provisions,  my  bread  especially,  as  much  as  I  possibly 
could. 

Having  now  fixed  my  habitation,  I  found  it  absolutely  necessary  to  provide  a  place 
to  make  a  fire  in,  and  fuel  to  burn ;  and  what  I  did  for  that,  as  also  how  I  enlarged 
my  cave,  and  what  conveniences  I  made,  I  shall  give  a  full  account  of  in  its  place ; 
but  I  must  now  give  some  little  account  of  myself,  and  of  my  thoughts  about  living, 
which,  it  may  well  be  supposed,  were  not  a  few. 

I  had  a  dismal  prospect  of  my  condition,  for  as  I  was  not  cast  away  upon  that 
island  without  being  driven,  as  is  said,  by  a  violent  storm  quite  out  of  the  course  of 
our  intended  voyage,  and  a  great  way,  viz.,  some  hundreds  of  leagues,  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  the  trade  of  mankind,  I  had  great  reason  to  consider  it  as  a  deter- 
mination of  Heaven  that  in  this  desolate  place,  and  in  this  desolate  manner,  I  should 
end  my  life.  The  tears  would  run  plentifully  down  my  face  when  I  made  these 
reflections ;  and  sometimes  I  would  expostulate  with  myself  why  Providence  should 
thus  completely  ruin  its  creatures,  and  render  them  so  absolutely  miserable,  so  without 
help  abandoned,  and  so  entirely  depressed,  that  it  could  hardly  be  rational  to  be 
thankful  for  such  a  life. 

But  something  always  returned  swift  upon  me  to  check  these  thoughts,  and  to 
reprove  me  ;  and  particularly  one  day  walking  Avith  my  gun  in  my  hand  by  the  sea-side, 
I  was  very  pensive  upon  the  subject  of  my  present  condition,  when  Reason,  as  it  were, 
put  in  expostulating  with  me  the  other  way,  thus :  "  Well,  you  are  in  a  desolate 
condition,  it  is  true  ;  but,  pray  remember,  where  are  the  rest  of  you  ?     Did  not  you 


Comforting  Reflections. 


45 


come  eleven  of  you  into  the  boat?  Where  are  the  ten?  Why  were  not  they  saved, 
and  you  lost  ?  Why  are  you  singled  out  ?  Is  it  better  to  be  here  or  there  ?  "  And 
then  I  pointed  to  the  sea.     All  evils  are  to  be  considered  with  the  good  that  is  in  them 

and  with  what  worse  attended  them. 

Then  it  occurred  to  me  again,  how 
well    I  was  furnished  for  my  subsist- 
ence, and  what  would  have  been  my 
case  if    it    had  not  happened   (which 
was  a  hundred  thousand  to  one)  that 
the  ship  floated  from  the  place  where 
first  she  struck,  and  was  driven  so  near 
to  the  shore  that  I  had  time  to  get  all 
these  things  out  of  her?     What  would 
have    been    my  case,  if    I    had  been 
forced  to  have  lived  in  the  condition 
in  which  I  at  first  came  on  shore,  with- 
out necessaries  of  life,  or  any  means 
to  supply  and  procure  them?     "Par- 
ticularly,"   said    I    aloud    (though    to 
myself),    "what    should   I 
have  done  without  a  gun, 
without  ammunition,  with- 
out   any    tools     to    make 
anything,  or  to  work  with  ? 
without  clothes,  bedding,  a  tent,  or  any 
manner  of  coverings  ?  "  and  that  now 
I  had  all  these  to  a  sufficient  quantity, 
and  was  in  a  fair  way  to  provide  my- 
self in  such  a  manner  as  to  live  without 
my    gun,   when    my  ammunition    was 
spent :   so  that  I  had  a  tolerable  view 
of  subsisting  without  any  want  as  long 
as  I  lived ;   for  I  considered  from  the 
beginning    how  I  would    provide    for 
the  accidents  that  might  happen,  and 
for  the  time  that  was  to  come,  even 
not  only  after  my  ammunition  should 
be  spent,   but    even   after  my  health 
and  strength  should  decay. 
I  confess  I  had  not  then  entertained  any  notion  of  my  ammunition  being  de- 
stroyed at  one  blast — I  mean  my  powder  being  blown  up  by  lightning ;   and  this 
made  the  thoughts  of  it  surprising  to  me,  when  it  lightened  and  thundered,  as  I 
observed  just  now. 

And  now,  being  to  enter  into  a  melancholy  relation  of  a  scene  of  silent  life,  such, 


THE    KID    FOLLOWED    ME"    (/.   44). 


46  Robinson  Crusoe. 

perhaps,  as  was  never  heard  of  in  the  world  before,  I  shall  take  it  from  its  beginning, 
and  continue  it  in  its  order.  It  was,  by  ray  account,  the  30th  of  September  when,  in 
the  manner  as  above  said,  I  first  set  foot  upon  this  horrid  island ;  when  the  sun 
being  to  us  in  its  autumnal  equinox,  was  almost  just  over  my  head :  for  I  reckoned 
myself,  by  observation,  to  be  in  the  latitude  of  nine  degrees  twenty-two  minutes  north 
of  the  line. 

After  I  had  been  there  about  ten  or  twelve  days,  it  came  into  my  thoughts  that  I 
should  lose  my  reckoning  of  time  for  want  of  books,  and  pen,  and  ink,  and  should 
even  forget  the  Sabbath-day  from  the  working  days  ;  but  to  prevent  this,  I  cut  it  with 
my  knife  upon  a  large  post,  in  capital  letters ;  and  making  it  into  a  great  cross,  I  set 
it  up  on  the  shore  where  I  first  landed,  viz.,  "  I  came  on  shore  here  on  the  30th  of 
September,  1659." 

Upon  the  sides  of  this  square  post  I  cut  every  day  a  notch  with  my  knife,  and  every 
seventh  notch  was  as  long  again  as  the  rest,  and  every  first  day  of  the  month  as  long 
again  as  that  long  one  ;  and  thus  I  kept  my  calendar,  or  weekly,  monthly,  and  yearly 
reckoning  of  time. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  to  observe  that  among  the  many  things  which  I  brought 
from  the  ship  in  the  several  voyages  which,  as  above  mentioned,  I  made  to  it,  I  got' 
several  things  of  less  value,  but  not  at  all  less  useful  to  me,  which  I  omitted  setting 
down  before  ;  as,  in  particular,  pens,  ink,  and  paper ;  several  parcels  in  the  captain's, 
mate's,  gunner's,  and  carpenter's  keeping  ;  three  or  four  compasses,  some  mathematical 
instruments,  dials,  perspectives,  charts,  and  books  of  navigation ;  all  which  I  huddled 
together,  whether  I  might  want  them  or  no :  also  I  found  three  very  good  Bibles, 
which  came  to  me  in  my  cargo  from  England,  and  which  I  had  packed  up  among  my 
things  ;  some  Portuguese  books  also  ;  and,  among  them,  two  or  three  Popish  prayer- 
books,  and  several  other  books  ;  all  which  I  carefully  secured.  And  I  must  not  forget 
that  we  had  in  the  ship  a  dog  and  two  cats,  of  whose  eminent  history  I  must  have 
occasion  to  say  something  in  its  place,  for  I  carried  both  the  cats  with  me  ;  and  as  for 
the  dog,  he  jumped  out  of  the  ship  of  himself,  and  swam  on  shore  to  me  the  day  after 
I  went  on  shore  with  my  first  cargo,  and  was  a  trusty  servant  to  me  many  years ;  I 
wanted  nothing  that  he  could  fetch  me,  nor  any  company  that  he  could  make  up  to 
me  ;  I  only  wanted  to  have  him  talk  to  me,  but  that  he  could  not  do.  As  I  observed 
before,  I  found  pens,  ink,  and  paper,  and  I  husbanded  them  to  the  utmost ;  and  I  shall 
show  that  while  my  ink  lasted  I  kept  things  very  exact ;  but  after  that  was  gone  I  could 
not,  for  I  could  not  make  any  ink  by  any  means  that  I  could  devise. 

And  this  put  me  in  mind  that  I  wanted  many  things,  notwithstanding  all  that  I  had 
amassed  together ;  and  of  these,  ink  was  one  :  as  also  a  spade,  pickaxe,  and  shovel  to 
dig  or  remove  the  earth ;  needles,  pins,  and  thread :  as  for  linen,  I  soon  learned  to 
want  that  without  much  difficulty. 

This  want  of  tools  made  every  work  I  did  go  on  heavily  ;  and  it  was  near  a  whole 
year  before  I  had  entirely  finished  my  little  pale,  or  surrounded  habitation.  The  piles 
or  stakes,  which  were  as  heavy  as  I  could  well  lift,  were  a  long  time  in  cutting  and 
preparing  in  the  woods,  and  more,  by  far,  in  bringing  home  ;  so  that  I  spent  sometimes 
two  days  in  cutting  and  bringing  home  one  of  those  posts,  and  a  third  day  in  driving 


The  Evil  —  The  Good. 


47 


it  into  the  ground  ;  for  which  purpose  I  got  a  heavy  piece  of  wood  at  first,  but  at  last 
bethought  myself  of  one  of  the  iron  crows ;  which,  however,  though  I  found  it,  yet 
made  driving  those  posts  or  piles  very  laborious  and  tedious  work.  But  what  need  I 
have  been  concerned  at  the  tediousness  of  anything  I  had  to  do,  seeing  I  had  time 
enough  to  do  it  in?  nor  had  I  any  other  employment,  if  that  had  been  over,  at  least 
that  I  could  foresee,  except  the  ranging  the  island  to  seek  for  food,  which  I  did,  more 
or  less,  every  day. 

I  now  began  to  consider  seriously  my  condition,  and  the  circumstances  I  was 
reduced  to ;  and  I  drew  up  the  state  of  my  affairs  in  writing,  not  so  much  to  leave 
them  to  any  that  were  to  come  after  me,  for  I  was  like  to  have  but  few  heirs,  as  to 
deliver  my  thoughts  from  daily  poring  upon  them,  and  afflicting  my  mind  ;  and  as  my 
reason  began  now  to  master  my  despondency,  I  began  to  comfort  myself  as  well  as  I 
could,  and  to  set  the  good  against  the  evil,  that  I  might  have  something  to  distinguish 
my  case  from  worse,  and  I  stated  it  very  impartially,  like  debtor  and  creditor,  the 
comfort  I  enjoyed  against  the  miseries  I  suffered,  thus: — 

EVIL.  GOOD. 

I  am  cast  upon  a  horrible,  desolate  isl-  But  I  am  alive ;   and  not  drowned,  as  all  my  ship's 

and  ;   void  of  all  hope  of  recovery.  company  was. 

I   am  singled  out   and  separated,  as  it  But  I  am  singled  out,  too,  from  all  the  ship's  crew,  to 

were,  from  all  the  world,  to  be  miserable.       be  spared  from  death ;  and  He  that  miraculously  saved 

me  from  death  can  deliver  me  from  this  condition. 
I  am  divided  from  mankind,  a  solitary ;  But  I  am  not  starved,  and  perishing  on  a  barren  place, 

one  banished  from  human  society.  affording  no  sustenance. 

I  have  no  clothes  to  cover  me.  But  I  am  in  a  hot  climate,  where  if  I  had  clothes,  I 

could  hardly  wear  them. 
I  am  without  any  defense,  or  means  to  But  I  am  cast  on  an  island  where  I  see  no  wild  beasts 

resist  any  violence  of  man  or  beast.  to  hurt  me,  as  I  saw  on  the  coast  of  Africa;  and  what  if 

I  had  been  shipwrecked  there? 
I  have  no  soul  to  speak  to  or  relieve  me.  But  God  wonderfully  sent  the  ship  in  near  enough  to 

the  shore,  that  I  have  got  out  so  many  necessary  things 
as  will  either  supply  my  wants  or  enable  me  to  supply 
myself,  even  as  long  as  I  live. 

Upon  the  whole,  here  was  an  undoubted  testimony  that  there  was  scarce  any 
condition  in  the  world  so  miserable  but  there  was  something  negative,  or  something 
positive  to  be  thankful  for  in  it :  and  let  this  stand  as  a  direction,  from  the  experience 
of  the  most  miserable  of  all  conditions  in  this  world — that  we  may  always  find  in  it 
something  to  comfort  ourselves  from,  and  to  set,  in  the  description  of  good  and  evil, 
on  the  credit  side  of  the  account. 

Having  now  brought  my  mind  a  little  to  relish  my  condition,  and  giving  over 
looking  out  to  sea  if  I  could  spy  a  ship — I  say,  giving  over  these  things,  I  began  to 
apply  myself  to  accommodate  my  way  of  living,  and  to  make  things  as  easy  to  me  as  I 
could. 

I  have  already  described  my  habitation,  which  was  a  tent  under  the  side  of  a  rock, 
surrounded  with  a  strong  pale  of  posts  and  cables ;  but  I  might  now  rather  call  it  a 
wall,  for  I  raised  a  kind  of  wall  up  against  it  of  turfs,  about  two  feet  thick,  on  the 
outside  ;   and  after  some  time  (I  think  it  was  a  year  and  a  half)  I  raised  rafters  from  it, 


48 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


leaning  to  the  rock,  and  thatched  or  covered  it  with  boughs  of  trees,  and  such  things  as  I 
could  get  to  keep  out  the  rain,  which  I  found  at  some  times  of  the  year  very  violent. 
I  have  already  observed  how  I  brought  all  my  goods  into  this  pale,  and  into  the 
cave  which  I  had  made  behind  me.  But  I  must  observe,  too,  that  at  first  this  was  a 
confused  heap  of  goods,  which,  as  they  lay  in  no  order,  so  they  took  up  all  my  place ; 
I  had  no  room  to  turn  myself ;   so  I  set  myself  to  enlarge  my  cave,  and  worked  farther 


I    WANTED    NOTHING   THAT    HE    COULD    FETCH    ME  "    {p.  46). 


into  the  earth ;  for  it  was  a  loose,  sandy  rock,  which  yielded  easily  to  the  labor  1 
bestowed  on  it :  and  so  when  I  found  I  was  pretty  safe  as  to  beasts  of  prey,  I  worked 
sideways,  to  the  right  hand,  into  the  rock,  and  then  turning  to  the  right  again,  worked 
quite  out,  and  made  me  a  door  to  come  out  on  the  outside  of  my  pale  or  fortification. 

This  gave  me  not  only  egress  and  regress,  as  it  was  a  back  way  to  my  tent  and  to 
my  storehouse,  but  gave  me  room  to  stow  my  goods. 

And  now  I  began  to  apply  myself  to  make  such  necessary  things  as  I  found  I  most 
wanted,  particularly  a  chair  and  a  table  ;  for  without  these  I  was  not  able  to  enjoy  the 
few  comforts  I  had  in  the  world ;  I  could  not  write,  or  eat,  or  do  several  things  with 
so  much  pleasure  without  a  table. 

So  I  went  to  work  ;   and  here  I  must  needs  observe  that  as  reason  is  the  substance 


I  Begin  my  Journal.  49 

and  original  of  the  mathematics,  so  by  stating  and  squaring  everything  by  reason,  and 
by  making  the  most  rational  judgment  of  things,  every  man  may  be,  in  time,  master 
of  every  mechanic  art.  I  had  never  handled  a  tool  in  my  life  ;  and  yet,  in  time,  by 
labor,  application,  and  contrivance,  I  found,  at  last,  that  I  wanted  nothing  but  I  could 
have  made  it,  especially  if  I  had  had  tools.  However,  I  made  abundance  of  things 
even  without  tools ;  and  some  with  no  more  tools  than  an  adze  and  a  hatchet,  which, 
perhaps,  were  never  made  that  way  before,  and  that  with  infinite  labor.  For  example, 
if  I  wanted  a  board,  I  had  no  other  way  but  to  cut  down  a  tree,  set  it  on  an  edge 
before  me,  and  hew  it  flat  on  either  side  with  my  axe,  till  I  had  brought  it  to  be  as  thin 
as  a  plank  and  then  dub  it  smooth  with  my  adze.  It  is  true,  by  this  method  I  could 
make  but  one  board  out  of  a  whole  tree ;  but  this  I  had  no  remedy  for  but  patience, 
any  more  than  I  had  for  the  prodigious  deal  of  time  and  labor  which  it  took  me  up  to 
make  a  plank  or  board ;  but  my  time  or  labor  was  little  worth,  and  so  it  was  as  well 
employed  one  way  as  another. 

However,  I  made  me  a  table  and  a  chair,  as  I  observed  above,  in  the  first  place ; 
and  this  I  did  out  of  the  short  pieces  of  boards  that  I  brought  on  my  raft  from  the 
ship.  But  when  I  had  wrought  out  some  boards  as  above,  I  made  large  shelves, 
of  the  breadth  of  a  foot  and  a  half,  one  over  another,  all  along  one  side  of  my 
cave,  to  lay  all  my  tools,  nails,  and  iron-work  on ;  and,  in  a  word,  to  separate 
everything  at  large  into  their  places  that  I  might  come  easily  at  them ;  also  I 
knocked  pieces  into  the  wall  of  the  rock  to  hang  my  guns  and  all  things  that 
would  hang  up :  so  that  had  my  cave  been  to  be  seen,  it  looked  like  a  general 
magazine  of  all  necessary  things ;  and  I  had  everything  so  ready  at  my  hand, 
that  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  see  all  my  goods  in  such  order,  and 
especially  to  find  my  stock  of  all  necessaries  so  great. 

And  now  it  was  when  I  began  to  keep  a  Journal  of  every  day's  employment ;  for, 
indeed,  at  first  I  was  in  too  much  hurry,  and  not  only  a  hurry  as  to  labor,  but  in 
too  much  discomposure  of  mind ;  and  my  Journal  would  have  been  full  of  many  dull 
things:  for  example,  I  must  have  said  thus:  "Sept.  the  30///. — After  I  had  got  to 
shore,  and  had  escaped  drowning,  instead  of  being  thankful  to  God  for  my  deliverance, 
having  first  vomited,  with  the  great  quantity  of  salt  water  which  was  gotten  into  my 
stomach,  and  recovering  myself  a  little,  I  ran  about  the  shore  wringing  my  hands  and 
beating  my  head  and  face,  exclaiming  at  my  misery,  and  crying  out  I  was  undone, 
undone!  till,  tired  and  faint,  I  was  forced  to  lie  down  on  the  ground  to  repose,  but 
durst  not  sleep,  for  fear  of  being  devoured." 

Some  days  after  this,  and  after  I  had  been  on  board  the  ship,  and  had  got  all  I 
could  out  of  her,  yet  I  could  not  forbear  getting  up  to  the  top  of  a  little  mountain,  and 
looking  out  to  sea,  in  hopes  of  seeing  a  ship :  then  fancy  at  a  vast  distance  I  espied  a 
sail,  please  myself  with  the  hopes  of  it,  and  then,  after  looking  steadily  till  I  was 
almost  blind,  lose  it  quite,  and  sit  down  and  weep  like  a  child,  and  thus  increase  my 
misery  by  my  folly. 

But  having  gotten  over  these  things  in  some  measure,  and  having  settled  my 
household  stuff  and  habitation,  made  me  a  table  and  a  chair,  and  all  as  handsome 
about  me  as  I  could,  I  began,  I  say,  to  keep  my  Journal ;  of  which  I  shall  here  give  you 


50  Robinson  Crusoe. 

the  copy  (though  in  it  will  be  told  all  these  particulars  over  again),  as  long  as  it  lasted  ; 
for.  at  last,  having  no  more  ink,  I  was  forced  to  leave  it  off. 


THE    JOURNAL. 

September  30,  1659. — I,  poor  miserable  Robinson  Crusoe,  being  shipwrecked, 
during  a  dreadful  storm,  in  the  offing,  came  on  shore  on  this  dismal,  unfortunate 
island,  which  I  called  "  The  Island  of  Despair ;  "  all  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company 
being  drowned,  and  myself  almost  dead. 

All  the  rest  of  the  day  I  spent  in  afflicting  myself  at  the  dismal  circumstances  I  was 
brought  to  :  viz.,  I  had  neither  food,  house,  clothes,  weapon,  nor  place  to  fly  to  ;  and, 
in  despair  of  any  relief,  saw  nothing  but  death  before  me :  either  that  I  should  be 
devoured  by  wild  beasts,  murdered  by  savages,  or  starved  to  death  for  want  of  food, 
At  the  approach  of  night  I  slept  in  a  tree,  for  fear  of  wild  creatures  ;  but  slept  soundly, 
though  it  rained  all  night. 

October  1 . — In  the  morning  I  saw,  to  my  great  surprise,  the  ship  had  floated  with 
the  high  tide,  and  was  driven  on  shore  again,  much  nearer  the  island  ;  which,  as  it  was 
some  comfort,  on  one  hand  (for  seeing  her  sit  upright,  and  not  broken  to  pieces,  I 
hoped,  if  the  wind  abated,  I  might  get  on  board,  and  get  some  food  and  necessaries 
out  of  her  for  my  relief),  so,  on  the  other  hand,  it  renewed  my  grief  at  the  loss  of  my 
comrades,  who,  I  imagined,  if  we  had  all  stayed  on  board,  might  have  saved  the  ship, 
or,  at  least,  that  they  would  not  have  been  all  drowned,  as  they  were ;  and  that,  had 
the  men  been  saved,  we  might  perhaps  have  built  us  a  boat  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  ship 
to  have  carried  us  to  some  other  part  of  the  world.  I  spent  great  part  of  this  day  in 
perplexing  myself  on  these  things ;  but  at  length,  seeing  the  ship  almost  dry,  I  went 
upon  the  sand  as  near  as  I  could,  and  then  swam  on  board.  This  day  also  it  continued 
raining,  though  with  no  wind  at  all. 

From  the  1st  of  October  to  the  24//?. — All  these  days  entirely  spent  in  many  several 
voyages  to  get  all  I  could  out  of  the  ship,  which  I  brought  on  shore,  every  tide  of 
flood,  upon  rafts.  Much  rain  also,  in  these  days,  though  with  some  intervals  of  fair 
weather ;   but  it  seems  this  was  the  rainy  season. 

Oct.  24. — I  overset  my  raft,  and  all  the  goods  I  had  got  upon  it ;  but  being  in 
shoal-water,  and  the  things  being  chiefly  heavy,  I  recovered  many  of  them  when  the 
tide  was  out. 

Oct.  25. — It  rained  all  night  and  all  day,  with  some  gusts  of  wind ;  during  which 
time  the  ship  broke  in  pieces,  the  wind  blowing  a  little  harder  than  before,  and  was  no 
more  to  be  seen,  except  the  wreck  of  her,  and  that  only  at  low  water.  I  spent  this  day 
in  covering  and  securing  the  goods  which  I  saved,  that  the  rain  might  not  spoil  them. 

Oct.  26. — I  walked  about  the  shore  almost  all  day,  to  find  out  a  place  to  fix  my 
habitation,  greatly  concerned  to  secure  myself  from  any  attack  in  the  night,  either  from 
wild  beasts  or  men.  Towards  night  I  fixed  upon  a  proper  place,  under  a  rock,  and 
marked  out  a  semi-circle  for  my  encampment,  which  I  resolved  to  strengthen  with  a 
work,  wall,  or  fortification,  made  of  double  piles,  lined  within  with  cables,  and  without 
with  turf. 


My  Journal.  c  i 

From  the  26th  to  the  30th,  I  worked  very  hard  in  carrying  all  my  goods  to  my  new 
habitation,  though  some  part  of  the  time  it  rained  exceeding  hard. 

The  31st,  in  the  morning,  I  went  out  into  the  island  with  my  gun,  to  seek  for  some 
food,  and  discover  the  country ;  when  I  killed  a  she-goat,  and  her  kid  followed  me 
home,  which  I  afterwards  killed  also,  because  it  would  not  feed. 

November  1 . — I  set  up  my  tent  under  a  rock,  and  lay  there  for  the  first  night ; 
making  it  as  large  as  I  could,  with  stakes  driven  in  to  swing  my  hammock  upon. 

Nov.  2. — I  set  up  all  my  chests  and  boards  and  the  pieces  of  timber  which  made 
my  rafts,  and  with  them  formed  a  fence  round  me,  a  little  within  the  place  I  had 
marked  out  for  my  fortification. 

Nov.  3. — I  went  out  with  my  gun,  and  killed  two  fowls  like  ducks,  which  were  very 
good  food.     In  the  afternoon  went  to  work  to  make  me  a  table. 

Nov.  4. — This  morning  I  began  to  order  my  times  of  work,  of  going  out  with  my 
gun,  time  of  sleep,  and  time  of  diversion :  viz.,  every  morning  I  walked  out  with  my 
gun  for  two  or  three  hours,  if  it  did  not  rain  ;  then  employed  myself  to  work  till  about 
eleven  o'clock ;  then  ate  what  I  had  to  live  on ;  and  from  twelve  to  two  I  lay  down 
to  sleep,  the  weather  being  excessive  hot ;  and  then,  in  the  evening,  to  work  again. 
The  working  part  of  this  day  and  the  next  were  wholly  employed  in  making  this  table, 
for  I  was  yet  but  a  very  sorry  workman,  though  time  and  necessity  made  me  a  com- 
plete natural  mechanic  soon  after,  as  I  believe  they  would  do  any  one  else. 

Nov.  5. — This  day  I  went  abroad  with  my  gun  and  my  dog,  and  killed  a  wild  cat ; 
her  skin  pretty  soft,  but  her  flesh  good  for  nothing.  Every  creature  I  killed,  I  took  off 
the  skins  and  preserved  them.  Coming  back  by  the  sea-shore,  I  saw  many  sorts  of 
sea-fowls,  which  I  did  not  understand  ;  but  was  surprised,  and  almost  frighted,  with  two 
or  three  seals,  which,  while  I  was  gazing  at,  not  well  knowing  what  they  were,  got  into 
the  sea,  and  escaped  me  for  that  time. 

Nov.  6. — After  my  morning  walk,  I  went  to  work  with  my  table  again,  and  finished 
it,  though  not  to  my  liking ;   nor  was  it  long  before  I  learned  to  mend  it. 

Nov.  7. — Now  it  began  to  be  settled  fair  weather.  The  7th,  8th,  9th,  10th,  and 
part  of  the  12th  (for  the  nth  was  Sunday  according  to  my  reckoning),  I  took  wholly 
up  to  make  me  a  chair,  and  with  much  ado  brought  it  to  a  tolerable  shape,  but  never 
to  please  me ;   and  even  in  the  making  I  pulled  it  to  pieces  several  times. 

Note. — I  soon  neglected  keeping  Sundays  ;  for,  omitting  my  mark  for  them  on  my 
post,  I  forgot  which  was  which. 

Nov.  13. — This  day  it  rained,  which  refreshed  me  exceedingly,  and  cooled  the 
earth  ;  but  it  was  accompanied  with  terrible  thunder  and  lightning,  which  frighted  me 
dreadfully  for  fear  of  my  powder.  As  soon  as  it  was  over,  I  resolved  to  separate 
my  stock  of  powder  into  as  many  little  parcels  as  possible,  that  it  might  not  be 
in  danger. 

Nov.  14,  15,  16. — These  three  days  I  spent  in  making  little  square  chests,  or  boxes, 
which  might-hold  about  a  pound,  or  two  pounds  at  most,  of  powder ;  and  so,  putting 
the  powder  in,  I  stowed  it  in  places  as  secure  and  remote  from  one  another  as  possible. 
On  one  of  these  three  days  I  killed  a  large  bird  that  was  good  to  eat,  but  I  knew  not 
what  to  call  it. 


52 


Robinson  Crusoe, 


Nov.  17. — This  day  I  began  to 
dig  behind  ray  tent  into  the  rock, 
to  make  room  for  my  further  con- 
veniency. 

Note. — Three  things  I  wanted 
exceedingly   for   this    work:    viz.,   a 


''they  all  faced  about  upon 

THE    DOC,"    (/.    54). 

Brazils  they  call  the  iron-tree,  for  its 
exceeding  hardness ;  of  this,  with 
great  labor,  and  almost  spoiling 
my  axe,  I  cut  a  piece,  and  brought 
it  home,  with  difficulty  enough,  for 
it  was  exceeding  heavy.  The  exces- 
sive hardness  of  the  wood,  and  hav- 
ing no  other  way,  made  me  a  long 
while  upon  this  machine,  for  1 
worked    it    effectually  by  little  and 


pickaxe,   a 
shovel,  and  a 
wheelbarrow, 
or  basket ;  so 
I    desisted 
from       my      work, 
and  began  to  con- 
sider how  to  supply 
that   want,  and 
make  me   some 
tools.     As  for  the 
pickaxe,  I  made  use  of  the 
iron  crows,  which  were  pro- 
per enough,  though  heavy ; 
but    the  next  thing  was  a 
shovel  or  spade ;    this  was 
so  absolutely  necessary  that 
indeed  I  could  do  nothing 
effectually  without  it ;    but 
what  kind  of  one  to  make 
I  knew  not. 

Nov.  18. — The  next  day, 
in  searching  the  woods,  I 
found  a  tree  of  that  wood, 
or    like    it,    which    in    the 


My  Diary  Continued. 


53 


little  into  the  form  of  a  shovel  or  spade ;  the  handle  exactly  shaped  like  ours  in 
England,  only  that  the  board  part  having  no  iron  shod  upon  it  at  bottom,  it 
would  not  last  me  so  long ;  however,  it  served  well  enough  for  the  uses  which 
I  had  occasion  to  put  it  to ;  but  never  was  a  shovel,  I  believe,  made  after  that 
fashion,  or  so  long  making. 

I  was  still  deficient,  for  I  wanted  a  basket,  or  a  wheelbarrow.  A  basket  I  could 
not  make  by  any  means,  having 
no  such  things  as  twigs  that  would 
bend  to  make  wicker-ware — at 
least,  none  yet  found  out ;  and 
as  to  the  wheelbarrow,  I  fancied 
I  could  make  all  but  the  wheel ; 
but  that  I  had  no  notion  of ; 
neither  did  I  know  how  to  go 
about  it ;  besides,  I  had  no  pos- 
sible way  to  make  iron  gudgeons 
for  the  spindle  or  axis  of  the 
wheel  to  run  in ;  so  I  gave  it 
over,  and  so,  for  carrying  away 
the  earth  which  I  dug  out  of  the 
cave,  I  made  me  a  thing  like  a 
hod,  which  the  laborers  carry 
mortar  in  when  they  serve  the 
bricklayers.  This  was  not  so  dif- 
ficult to  me  as  the  making  the 
shovel ;  and  yet  this  and  the 
shovel,  and  the  attempt  which  I 
made  in  vain  to  make  a  wheel- 
barrow, took  me  up  no  less  than  four  days,  I  mean  always  excepting  my  morning's 
walk  with  my  gun,  which  I  seldom  failed,  and  very  seldom  failed  also  of  bringing 
home  something  fit  to  eat. 

Nov.  23. — My  other  work  having  stood  still,  because  of  my  making  these  tools, 
when  they  were  finished  I  went  on,  and  working  every  day,  as  my  strength  and  time 
allowed,  I  spent  eighteen  days  entirely  in  widening  and  deepening  my  cave,  that  it 
might  hold  my  goods  commodiously. 

Note. — During  all  this  time  I  worked  to  make  this  room,  or  cave,  spacious  enough 
to  accommodate  me  as  a  warehouse  or  magazine,  a  kitchen,  a  dining-room,  and  a  cellar. 
As  for  a  lodging,  I  kept  to  the  tent ;  except  that  sometimes,  in  the  wet  season  of 
the  year,  it  rained  so  hard  that  I  could  not  keep  myself  dry,  which  caused  me 
afterwards  to  cover  all  my  place  within  my  pale  with  long  poles,  in  the  form  of 
rafters,  leaning  against  the  rock,  and  load  them  with  flags  and  large  leaves  of  trees, 
like  a  thatch. 

December  10. — I  began  now  to  think  my  cave  or  vault  finished,  when  on  a  sudden 
(it  seems  I  had  made  it  too  large)  a  great  quantity  of  earth  fell  down  from  the  top  and 


A    KIND    OF    WILD    PIGEONS  "    (/.   55). 


54  Robinson  Crusoe. 

one  side  ;  so  much  that,  in  short,  it  frighted  me,  and  not  without  reason,  too  ;  for  if  I 
had  been  under  it,  I  had  never  wanted  a  grave-digger.  Upon  this  disaster  I  had  a 
great  deal  of  work  to  do  over  again,  for  I  had  the  loose  earth  to  carry  out ;  and,  which 
was  of  more  importance,  I  had  the  ceiling  to  prop  up,  so  that  I  might  be  sure  no  more 
would  come  down. 

Dec.  1 1 . — This  day  I  went  to  work  with  it  accordingly,  and  got  two  shores  or  posts 
pitched  upright  to  the  top,  with  two  pieces  of  board  across  over  each  post ;  this  I 
finished  the  next  day,  and  setting  more  posts  up  with  boards,  in  about  a  week  more 
I  had  the  roof  secured ;  and  the  posts,  standing  in  rows,  served  me  for  partitions  to 
part  off  my  house. 

Dec.  17. — From  this  day  to  the  20th  I  placed  shelves,  and  knocked  up  nails  on  the 
posts  to  hang  everything  up  that  could  be  hung  up  ;  and  now  I  began  to  be  in  some 
order  within  doors. 

Dec.  20. — Now  I  carried  everything  into  the  cave,  and  began  to  furnish  my  house, 
and  set  up  some  pieces  of  board  like  a  dresser,  to  order  my  victuals  upon  ;  but  board 
began  to  be  very  scarce  with  me :   also  I  made  me  another  table. 

Dec.  24. — Much  rain  all  night  and  all  day ;   no  stirring  out. 

Dec.  25. — Rain  all  day. 

Dec.  26. — No  rain,  and  the  earth  much  cooler  than  before,  and  pleasanter. 

Dec.  27. — Killed  a  young  goat,  and  lamed  another  so  that  I  catched  it,  and  led  it 
home  in  a  string ;  when  I  had  it  at  home,  I  bound  and  splintered  up  its  leg,  which  was 
broke. 

N.B. — I  took  such  care  of  it  that  it  lived,  and  the  leg  grew  well  and  as  strong  as 
ever ;  but  by  nursing  it  so  long  it  grew  tame,  and  fed  upon  the  little  green  at  my  door, 
and  would  not  go  away.  This  was  the  first  time  that  I  entertained  a  thought  of 
breeding  up  some  tame  creatures,  that  I  might  have  food  when  my  powder  and  shot 
were  all  spent. 

Dec.  28,  29,  30,  31. — Great  heats,  and  no  breeze,  so  that  there  was  no  stirring 
abroad,  except  in  the  evening,  for  food ;  this  time  I  spent  in  putting  all  my  things  in 
order  within  doors. 

January  1 . — Very  hot  still :  but  I  went  abroad  early  and  late  with  my  gun,  and 
lay  still  in  the  middle  of  the  day.  This  evening,  going  farther  into  the  valleys 
which  lay  towards  the  centre  of  the  island,  I  found  there  was  plenty  of  goats,  though 
exceedingly  shy,  and  hard  to  come  at ;  however,  I  resolved  to  try  if  I  could  not 
bring  my  dog  to  hunt  them  down. 

Jan.  2. — Accordingly,  the  next  day  I  went  out  with  my  dog,  and  set  him  upon  the 
goats ;  but  I  was  mistaken,  for  they  all  faced  about  upon  the  dog,  and  he  knew  his 
danger  too  well,  for  he  would  not  come  near  them. 

Jan.  3. — I  began  my  fence,  or  wall ;  which,  being  still  jealous  of  my  being  attacked 
by  somebody,  I  resolved  to  make  very  thick  and  strong. 

N.B. — This  wall  being  described  before,  I  purposely  omit  what  was  said  in  the 
Journal ;  it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  I  was  no  less  time  than  from  the  3d  of  January 
to  the  14th  of  April  working,  finishing,  and  perfecting  this  wall,  though  it  was  no  more 
than  about  twenty-four  yards  in  length,  being  a  half-circle,  from  one  place  in  the  rock 


Household  Affairs.  55 

to  another  place,  about  eight  yards  from  it,  the  door  of  the  cave  being  in  the  center 
behind  it. 

All  this  time  I  worked  very  hard,  the  rains  hindering  me  many  days,  nay,  some- 
times weeks  together ;  but  I  thought  I  should  never  be  perfectly  secure  till  this  wall 
was  finished ;  and  it  is  scarce  credible  what  inexpressible  labor  everything  was  done 
with,  especially  the  bringing  piles  out  of  the  woods,  and  driving  them  into  the  ground , 
for  I  made  them  much  bigger  than  I  needed  to  have  done. 

When  this  wall  was  finished,  and  the  outside  double-fenced,  with  a  turf  wall  raised 
up  close  to  it,  I  persuaded  myself  that  if  any  people  were  to  come  on  shore  there,  they 
would  not  perceive  anything  like  a  habitation ;  and  it  was  very  well  I  did  so,  as  may 
be  observed  hereafter,  upon  a  very  remarkable  occasion. 

During  this  time  I  made  rounds  in  the  woods  for  game  every  day,  when  the  rain 
permitted  me,  and  made  frequent  discoveries  in  these  walks  of  something  or  other  to 
my  advantage  ;  particularly  I  found  a  kind  of  wild  pigeons,  which  build,  not  as  wood- 
pigeons  in  a  tree,  but  rather  as  house-pigeons,  in  the  holes  of  the  rocks ;  and  taking 
some  young  ones,  I  endeavored  to  breed  them  up  tame,  and  did  so ;  but  when  they 
grew  older  they  flew  all  away,  which  perhaps  was  at  first  for  want  of  feeding  them,  for 
I  had  nothing  to  give  them ;  however,  I  frequently  found  their  nests  and  got  their 
young  ones,  which  were  very  good  meat. 

And  now,  in  the  managing  my  household  affairs,  I  found  myself  wanting  in  many 
things,  which  I  thought  at  first  jt  was  impossible  for  me  to  make  ;  as,  indeed,  as  to 
some  of  them  it  was  :  for  instance,  I  could  never  make  a  cask  to  be  hooped.  I  had  a 
small  runlet  or  two,  as  I  observed  before ;  but  I  could  never  arrive  to  the  capacity  of 
making  one  by  them,  though  I  spent  many  weeks  about  it ;  I  could  neither  put  in 
the  heads,  nor  join  the  staves  so  true  to  one  another  as  to  make  them  hold  water ;  so 
I  gave  that  also  over. 

In  the  next  place,  I  was  at  a  great  loss  for  candles  ;  so  that  as  soon  as  it  was  dark, 
which  was  generally  by  seven  o'clock,  I  was  obliged  to  go  to  bed.  I  remembered  the 
lump  of  beeswax  with  which  I  made  candles  in  my  African  adventure  ;  but  I  had  none 
of  that  now ;  the  only  remedy  I  had  was,  that  when  I  had  killed  a  goat  I  saved  the 
tallow,  and  with  a  little  dish  made  of  clay,  which  I  baked  in  the  sun,  to  which  I  added 
a  wick  of  some  oakum,  I  made  me  a  lamp  ;  and  this  gave  me  light,  though  not  a  clear 
steady  light  like  a  candle.  In  the  middle  of  all  my  labors  it  happened  that,  rummaging 
my  things,  I  found  a  little  bag  which,  as  I  hinted  before,  had  been  filled  with  corn  for 
the  feeding  of  poultry — not  for  this  voyage,  but  before,  as  I  suppose,  when  the  ship 
came  from  Lisbon.  What  little  remainder  of  corn  had  been  in  the  bag  was  all 
devoured  by  the  rats,  and  I  saw  nothing  in  the  bag  but  husks  and  dust ;  and  being 
willing  to  have  the  bag  for  some  other  use  (I  think  it  was  to  put  powder  in,  when  I 
divided  it  for  fear  of  the  lightning,  or  some  such  use),  I  shook  the  husks  of  corn  out 
of  it  on  one  side  of  my  fortification,  under  the  rock. 

It  was  a  little  before  the  great  rains  just  now  mentioned  that  I  threw  this  stuff 
away,  taking  no  notice  of  anything,  and  not  so  much  as  remembering  that  I  had  thrown 
anything  there,  when,  about  a  month  after,  or  thereabouts,  I  saw  some  few  stalks  of 
something  green  shooting  upon  the  ground,  which  I  fancied  might  be  some  plant  I 


56 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


had  not  seen  ;  but  I  was  surprised  and  perfectly  astonished  when,  after  a  little  longer 
time,  I  saw  about  ten  or  twelve  ears  come  out  which  were  perfectly  green  barley,  of  the 
same  kind  as  our  European — nay,  as  our  English  barley. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  the  astonishment  and  confusion  of  my  thoughts  on  this 
occasion  ;  I  had  hitherto  acted  upon  no  religious  foundation  at  all ;  indeed,  I  had  very 
few  notions  of  religion  in  my  head,  nor  had  entertained  any  sense  of  anything  that  had 
befallen  me,  otherwise  than  as  a  chance,  or,  as  we  lightly  say,  what  pleases  God,  without 
so  much  as  inquiring  into  the  end  of  Providence  in  these  things,  or  His  order  in 

governing  events  in  the  world.  But  after  I  saw  barley 
grow  there  in  a  climate  which  I  knew  was  not  proper 
for  corn,  and  especially  that  I  knew  not  how  it  came 
there,  it  startled  me  strangely,  and  I  began  to  suggest 
that  God  had  miraculously  caused  this  grain  to  grow 
without  any  help  of  seed  sown,  and  that  it 
was  so  directed  purely  for  my  sustenance  in 
that  wild,  miserable  place. 

This  touched  my  heart  a  little,  and  brought 
tears  out  of  my  eyes,  and  I  began  to  bless  my- 
self  that  such   a   prodigy   of    Nature    should 
happen  upon  my  account ;   and  this  was  the 
more    strange    to   me 
because    I    saw   near 
it  still,   all   along   by 
the  side  of  the  rock, 
some  other  straggling 
stalks,    which    proved 
to  be   stalks   of   rice, 
and    which    I    knew, 
because    I    had    seen 
it  grow  in  Africa  when 
I  was  ashore  there. 

I  not  only  thought 
these  the  pure  pro- 
ductions  of  Provi- 
dence for  my  support, 
but  not  doubting  but 
that  there  was  more 
in  the  place,  I  went 
all  over  that  part  of 
the  island  where  I 
had  been  before,  peer- 
ing in  every  corner 
and  under  every  rock, 

"  I    WAS    SURPRISED    AND    PERFECTLY   ASTONISHED."  tO    See    for  more   of    it, 


An  Unexpected  Crop. 


57 


but  I  could  not  find  any.     At  last  it  occurred  to  my  thoughts  that  I  had  shaken 

the  bag  of  chickens'  meat  out  in  that  place ;    and  the  wonder  began  to  cease ; 

and  I  must  confess,  my  religious  thankfulness  to  God's  providence  began  to  abate 

too,  upon  the  discovering  that  all  this  was  nothing  but  what  was  common ;   though  I 

ought  to  have  been  as  thankful 

for  so    strange    and   unforeseen 

providence    as    if   it    had    been 

miraculous ;     for    it   was    really 

the   work   of    Providence   as    to 

me,  that  should  order  or  appoint 

that  ten  or  twelve  grains  of  corn 

should  remain    unspoiled,   when 

the  rats   had   destroyed  all    the 

rest,  as  if  it  had  been  dropped 

from   heaven ;     as    also    that    I 

should    throw    it    out    into    that 

particular  place,  where,  it  being 

in  the  shade  of  a  high  rock,  it 

sprang  up  immediately  ;  whereas, 

if  I  had  thrown  it  anywhere  else 

at  that  time,  it  had  been  burnt 

up  and  destroyed. 

I  carefully  saved  the  ears  of 
this  corn,  you  may  be  sure,  in 
their  season,  which  was  about  / 
the  end  of  June ;  and  laying  up 
every  corn,  I  resolved  to  sow 
them  all  again,  hoping  in  time 
to  have  some  quantity,  sufficient 
to  supply  me  with  bread.  But 
it  was  not  till  the  fourth  year  that 
I  would  allow  myself  the  least 
grain  of  this  corn  to  eat,  and 
even  then  but  sparingly,  as  I 
shall  say  afterwards,  in  its  order ; 
for  I  lost  all  that  I  sowed  the 
first  season,  by  not  observing  the 

proper  time  ;   for  I  sowed  it  just  before  the  dry  season,  so  that  it  never  came  up  at 
all,  at  least,  not  as  it  would  have  done :   of  which  in  its  place. 

Besides  this  barley,  there  were,  as  above,  twenty  or  thirty  stalks  of  rice,  which  I 
preserved  with  the  same  care,  and  whose  use  was  of  the  same  kind,  or  to  the  same 
purpose,  viz.,  to  make  me  bread,  or  rather  food;  for  I  found  ways  to  cook  it  up 
without  baking,  though  I  did  that  also  after  some  time. 

But  to  return  to  my  Journal :  — 


GRINDING    MY    TOOLS  "    (/.  60). 


58  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  worked  excessive  hard  these  three  or  four  months,  to  get  my  wall  done  ;  and  the 
14th  of  April  I  closed  it  up,  contriving  to  go  into  it,  not  by  a  door,  but  over  a  wall, 
by  a  ladder,  that  there  might  be  no  sign  on  the  outside  of  my  habitation. 

April  16. — I  finished  the  ladder;  so  I  went  up  the  ladder  to  the  top,  and  then 
pulled  it  up  after  me,  and  let  it  down  on  the  inside :  this  was  a  complete  inclosure  to 
me ;  for  within  I  had  room  enough,  and  nothing  could  come  at  me  from  without, 
unless  it  could  first  mount  my  wall. 

The  very  next  day  after  this  wall  was  finished,  I  had  almost  had  all  my  labor 
overthrown  at  once,  and  myself  killed.  The  case  was  thus : — As  I  was  busy  in  the 
inside  of  it,  behind  my  tent,  just  in  the  entrance  into  my  cave,  I  was  terribly  frightened 
with  a  most  dreadful  surprising  thing  indeed :  for,  all  on  a  sudden,  I  found  the  earth 
came  tumbling  down  from  the  roof  of  my  cave,  and  from  the  edge  of  the  hill  over  my 
head,  and  two  of  the  posts  I  had  set  up  in  the  cave  cracked  in  a  frightful  manner.  I 
was  heartily  scared ;  but  thought  nothing  of  what  really  was  the  cause,  only  thinking 
that  the  top  of  my  cave  was  falling  in,  as  some  of  it  had  done  before  :  and  for  fear  I 
should  be  buried  in  it,  I  ran  forwards  to  my  ladder,  and  not  thinking  myself  safe  there 
neither,  I  got  over  my  wall  for  fear  of  the  pieces  of  the  hill,  which  I  expected  might 
roll  down  upon  me.  I  was  no  sooner  stepped  down  upon  the  firm  ground,  than  I 
plainly  saw  it  was  a  terrible  earthquake  ;  for  the  ground  I  stood  on  shook  three  times 
at  about  eight  minutes'  distance,  with  three  such  shocks  as  would  have  overturned  the 
strongest  building  that  could  be  supposed  to  have  stood  upon  the  earth ;  and  a  great 
piece  of  the  top  of  the  rock  which  stood  about  half  a  mile  from  me,  next  the  sea,  fell 
down  with  such  a  terrible  noise  as  I  never  heard  in  all  my  life.  I  perceived  also  the 
very  sea  was  put  into  a  violent  motion  by  it ;  and  I  believe  the  shocks  were  stronger 
under  the  water  than  on  the  island. 

I  was  so  amazed  with  the  thing  itself,  having  never  felt  the  like,  or  discoursed  with 
any  one  that  had,  that  I  was  like  one  dead  or  stupefied ;  and  the  motion  of  the  earth 
made  my  stomach  sick  like  one  that  was  tossed  at  sea ;  but  the  noise  of  the  falling 
of  the  rock  awaked  me  as  it  were,  and  rousing  me  from  the  stupefied  condition  I  was 
in,  filled  me  with  horror,  and  I  thought  of  nothing  then  but  the  hill  falling  upon  my 
tent  and  all  my  household  goods,  and  burying  all  at  once  ;  and  this  sunk  my  very  soul 
within  me  a  second  time. 

After  the  third  shock  was  over,  and  I  felt  no  more  for  some  time,  I  began  to  take 
courage  ;  and  yet  I  had  not  heart  enough  to  get  over  my  wall  again,  for  fear  of  being 
buried  alive,  but  still  sat  upon  the  ground,  greatly  cast  down  and  disconsolate,  not 
knowing  what  to  do.  All  this  while,  I  had  not  the  least  serious  religious  thought ; 
nothing  but  the  common  "  Lord  have  mercy  upon  me  ! "  and  when  it  was  over,  that 
went  away  too. 

While  I  sat  thus,  I  found  the  air  overcast,  and  it  grew  cloudy,  as  if  it  would  rain ; 
soon  after  that,  the  wind  arose  by  little  and  little,  so  that  in  less  than  half  an  hour  it 
blew  a  most  dreadful  hurricane  of  wind :  the  sea  was,  all  on  a  sudden,  covered  with 
foam  and  froth  ;  the  shore  was  covered  with  the  breach  of  the  water ;  the  trees  were 
torn  up  by  the  roots ;  and  a  terrible  storm  it  was.  This  held  about  three  hours,  and 
then  began  to  abate  ;   and  then  in  two  hours  more  it  was  calm,  and  began  to  rain  very 


Earthquake  and  Storm.  59 

hard.  All  this  while  I  sat  upon  the  ground  very  much  terrified  and  dejected  ;  when 
on  a  sudden  it  came  into  my  thoughts  that  these  winds  and  rain  being  the  consequences 
of  the  earthquake,  the  earthquake  itself  was  spent  and  over,  and  I  might  venture  into 
my  cave  again.  With  this  thought,  my  spirits  began  to  revive  ;  and  the  rain  also 
helping  to  persuade  me,  I  went  in  and  sat  down  in  my  tent ;  but  the  rain  was  so 
violent  that  my  tent  was  ready  to  be  beaten  down  with  it ;  and  I  was  forced  to  go  into 
my  cave,  though  very  much  afraid  and  uneasy,  for  fear  it  should  fall  on  my  head. 
This  violent  rain  forced  me  to  a  new  work,  viz.,  to  cut  a  hole  through  my  new 
fortifications,  like  a  sink,  to  let  the  water  go  out,  which  would  else  have  drowned  my 
cave.  After  I  had  been  in  my  cave  some  time,  and  found  still  no  more  shocks  of  the 
earthquake  follow,  I  began  to  be  more  composed.  And  now  to  support  my  spirits, 
which  indeed  wanted  it  very  much,  I  went  to  my  little  store,  and  took  a  small  sup  of 
rum  ;  which,  however,  I  did  then  and  always  very  sparingly,  knowing  I  could  have  no 
more  when  that  was  gone.  It  continued  raining  all  that  night,  and  great  part  of  the 
next  day,  so  that  I  could  not  stir  abroad  ;  but  my  mind  being  more  composed,  I  began 
to  think  of  what  I  had  best  to  do  ;  concluding  that  if  the  island  was  subject  to  these 
earthquakes,  there  would  be  no  living  for  me  in  a  cave,  but  I  must  consider  of  building 
me  some  little  hut  in  an  open  place  which  I  might  surround  with  a  wall,  as  I  had  done 
here,  and  so  make  myself  secure  from  wild  beasts  or  men ;  for  I  concluded  if  I  stayed 
where  I  was,  I  should  certainly,  one  time  or  other,  be  buried  alive. 

With  these  thoughts,  I  resolved  to  move  my  tent  from  the  place  where  it  now 
stood,  which  was  just  under  the  hanging  precipice  of  the  hill ;  and  which,  if  it  should 
be  shaken  again,  would  certainly  fall  upon  my  tent :  and  I  spent  the  two  next  days, 
being  the  19th  and  20th  of  April,  in  contriving  where  and  how  to  remove  my 
habitation.  The  fear  of  being  swallowed  up  alive  made  me  that  I  never  slept  in 
quiet ;  and  yet  the  apprehensions  of  lying  abroad  without  any  fence  were  almost  equal 
to  it ;  but  still,  when  I  looked  about,  and  saw  how  everything  was  put  in  order,  how 
pleasantly  concealed  I  was,  and  how  safe  from  danger,  it  made  me  loth  to  remove. 
In  the  meantime,  it  occurred  to  me  that  it  would  require  a  vast  deal  of  time  for  me  to 
do  this,  and  that  I  must  be  contented  to  run  the  venture  where  I  was,  till  I  had 
formed  a  camp  for  myself,  and  had  secured  it  so  as  to  remove  to  it.  So  with  this 
resolution  I  composed  myself  for  a  time,  and  resolved  that  I  would  go  to  work  with  all 
speed  to  build  me  a  wall  with  piles  and  cables,  etc.,  in  a  circle,  as  before,  and  set  my 
tent  up  in  it,  when  it  was  finished  ;  but  that  I  would  venture  to  stay  where  I  was  till  it 
was  finished,  and  fit  to  remove  to.     This  was  the  21st. 

April  22. — The  next  morning  I  began  to  consider  of  means  to  put  this  resolve  in 
execution ;  but  I  was  at  a  great  loss  about  my  tools.  I  had  three  large  axes,  and 
abundance  of  hatchets  (for  we  carried  the  hatchets  for  traffic  with  the  Indians) ;  but 
with  much  chopping  and  cutting  knotty  hard  wood,  they  were  all  full  of  notches,  and 
dull ;  and  though  I  had  a  grindstone,  I  could  not  turn  it  and  grind  my  tools  too. 
This  cost  me  as  much  thought  as  a  statesman  would  have  bestowed  upon  a  grand 
point  of  politics,  or  a  judge  upon  the  life  and  death  of  a  man.  At  length  I  contrived 
a  wheel  with  a  string  to  turn  it  with  my  foot,  that  I  might  have  both  my  hands  at 
liberty. 


6o 


Robiatson  Crusoe. 


Note. — I  had 
not  seen  any  such 
thing  in  England, 
or  at  least  not  to 
take  notice  how  it 
was  done,  though 
since  I  have  ob- 
served it  was  very 
?  common   there ; 

besides  that,  my 
grindstone  was 
very  large  and 
heavy.  This 
machine  cost  me 
a  full  week's  work 
to  bring  it  to 
perfection. 

April  2^.,  29. — 

These  two  whole 

days    I    took    up    in    grinding    my 

tools,  my  machine  for  turning  my 

grindstone  performing  very  well. 

April  30. — Having  perceived 
my  bread  had  been  low  a  great 
while,  I  now  took  a  survey  of  it, 
and  reduced  myself  to  one  biscuit- 
cake  a  day,  which  made  my  heart 
very  heavy. 

May  1. — In  the  morning,  look- 
ing towards  the  sea-side,  the  tide 
being  low,  I  saw  something  lie  on 
the  shore  bigger  than  ordinary, 
and  it  looked  like  a  cask ;  when 
I  came  to  it,  I  found  a  small 
barrel,  and  two  or  three  pieces  of 
the  wreck  of  the  ship,  which  were 
driven  on  shore  by  the  late  hurri- 
cane ;  and  looking  towards  the 
wreck  itself,  I  thought  it  seemed 
to  lie  higher  out  of  the  water  than 
it  used  to  do.  I  examined  the 
barrel  which  was  driven  on  shore, 
and  soon  found  it  was  a  barrel  of  gunpowder  ;  but  it  had  taken  water,  and  the  powder 
was   caked   as   hard   as   a   stone :     however,    I    rolled    it   farther    on   shore   for    the 


I    CAUGHT    A    YOUNG    DOLPHIN"   (/.   62). 


A   Visit  to  the  Wreck. 


61 


present,  and  went  on  upon  the  sands,  as 
near  as  I  could  to  the  wreck  of  the  ship, 
to  look  for  more. 

When  I  came  down  to  the  ship  I  found 
it  strangely  removed.  The  forecastle,  which 
lay  before  buried  in  sand,  was  heaved  up 
at  least  six  feet,  and  the  stern,  which  was 
broken  to  pieces  and  parted  from  the  rest 
by  the  force  of  the  sea  soon  after  I  had 
left  rummaging  of  her,  was  tossed,  as  it 
were,  up,  and  cast  on  one  side ;  and  the 
sand  was  thrown  so  high  on  that  side  next' 
the  stern,  that  whereas  there  was  a  great 
place  of  water  before,  so  that  I  could  not 
come  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
wreck  without  swimming,  I  could  now 
walk  quite  up  to  her  when  the  tide  was 
out.  I  was  surprised  with  this  at  first, 
but  soon  concluded  it  must  be 
done  by  the  earthquake ;  and 
as   by   this    violence    the    ship 


was  more  broken 
open  than  formerly, 
so  many  things 
came  daily  on 
shore,  which  the 
sea  had  loosened, 
and  which  the 
winds  and  water 
rolled  by  degrees 
to  the  land. 

This  wholly  di- 
verted my  thoughts 

from  the  design  of  removing  my  habitation,  and  I  busied  myself  mightily,  that  day 
especially,  in  searching  whether  I  could  make  any  way  into  the  ship ;  but  I  found 
nothing  was  to  be  expected  of  that  kind,   for  that  all  the  inside  of  the  ship  was 


A  LARGE  TORTOISE,  OR  TURTLE  "  (/.  63). 


62  Kobinspn  Crusoe. 

choked  up  with  sand.  However,  as  I  had  learned  not  to  despair  of  anything,  I 
resolved  to  pull  everything  to  pieces  that  I  could  of  the  ship,  concluding  that  every- 
thing I  could  get  from  her  would  be  of  some  use  or  other  to  me. 

May  3. — I  began  with  my  saw,  and  cut  a  piece  of  a  beam  through,  which  I  thought 
held  some  of  the  upper  part  or  quarter-deck  together,  and  when  I  had  cut  it  through, 
I  cleared  away  the  sand  as  well  as  I  could  from  the  side  which  lay  highest ;  but  the 
tide  coming  in,  I  was  obliged  to  give  over  for  that  time. 

May  4. — I  went  a-fishing,  but  caught  not  one  fish  that  I  durst  eat  of,  till  I  was 
weary  of  my  sport;  when,  just  going  to  leave  off,  I  caught  a  young  dolphin.  I  had 
made  me  a  long  line  of  some  rope-yarn,  but  I  had  no  hooks ;  yet  I  frequently  caught 
fish  enough,  as  much  as  I  cared  to  eat ;  all  which  I  dried  in  the  sun,  and  ate 
them  dry. 

May  5. — Worked  on  the  wreck;  cut  another  beam  asunder,  and  brought  three 
great  fir  planks  off  from  the  decks,  which  I  tied  together,  and  made  swim  on  shore 
when  the  tide  of  flood  came  on. 

May  6. — Worked  on  the  wreck  ;  got  several  iron  bolts  out  of  her,  and  other  pieces 
of  iron-work ;  worked  very  hard,  and  came  home  very  much  tired,  and  had  thoughts 
of  giving  it  over. 

May  7. — Went  to  the  wreck  again,  with  an  intent  not  to  work,  but  found  the  weight 
of  the  wreck  had  broken  itself  down,  the  beams  being  cut ;  that  several  pieces  of  the 
ship  seemed  to  lie  loose,  and  the  inside  of  the  hold  lay  so  open  that  I  could  see  into 
it ;   but  it  was  almost  full  of  water  and  sand. 

May  8. — Went  to  the  wreck,  and  carried  an  iron  crow  to  wrench  up  the  deck,  which 
lay  now  quite  clear  of  the  water  or  sand.  I  wrenched  open  two  planks,  and  brought 
them  on  shore  also  with  the  tide.      I  left  the  iron  crow  in  the  wreck  for  next  day. 

May  9. — Went  to  the  wreck,  and  with  the  crow  made  way  into  the  body  of  the 
wreck,  and  felt  several  casks,  and  loosened  them  with  the  crow,  but  could  not  break 
them  up.  I  felt  also  a  roll  of  English  lead,  and  could  stir  it,  but  it  was  too  heavy  to 
move. 

May  10,  11,  12,  13,  14. — Went  every  day  to  the  wreck;  and  got  a  great  deal  of 
pieces  of  timber,  and  boards,  or  planks,  and  two  or  three  hundredweight  of  iron. 

May  15. — I  earned  two  hatchets,  to  try  if  I  could  not  cut  a  piece  off  the  roll  of 
lead,  by  placing  the  edge  of  one  hatchet,  and  driving  it  with  the  other ;  but  as  it  lay 
about  a  foot  and  a  half  in  the  water,  I  could  not  make  any  blow  to  drive  the  hatchet. 

May  16. — It  had  blown  hard  in  the  night,  and  the  wreck  appeared  more  broken  by 
the  force  of  the  water ;  but  I  stayed  so  long  in  the  woods,  to  get  pigeons  for  food,  that 
the  tide  prevented  me  going  to  the  wreck  that  day. 

May  17. — I  saw  some  pieces  of  the  wreck  blown  on  shore,  at  a  great  distance,  near 
two  miles  off  me,  but  resolved  to  see  what  they  were,  and  found  they  were  pieces  of 
the  head,  but  too  heavy  for  me  to  bring  away. 

May  24. — Every  day,  to  this  day,  I  worked  on  the  wreck ;  and  with  hard  labor  I 
loosened  some  things  so  much  with  the  crow,  that  the  first  flowing  tide  several  casks 
floated  out,  and  two  of  the  seamen's  chests ;  but  the  wind  blowing  from  the  shore, 
nothing  came  to  land  that  day  but  pieces  of  timber,  and  a  hogshead,  which  had  some 


Violent  Ague.  63 

Brazil  pork  in  it ;  but  the  salt  water  and  the  sand  had  spoiled  it.  I  continued  this 
work  every  day  to  the  15th  of  June,  except  the  time  necessary  to  get  food,  which  I 
always  appointed,  during  this  part  of  my  employment,  to  be  when  the  tide  was  up,  that 
I  might  be  ready  when  it  was  ebbed  out ;  and  by  this  time  I  had  gotten  timber,  and 
plank,  and  iron-work  enough  to  have  built  a  good  boat,  if  I  had  known  how ;  and 
also  I  got,  at  several  times,  and  in  several  pieces,  near  one  hundredweight  of  the 
sheet-lead. 

June  16. — Going  down  to  the  sea-side,  I  found  a  large  tortoise,  or  turtle.  This 
was  the  first  I  had  seen,  which,  it  seems,  was  only  my  misfortune,  not  any  defect  of  the 
place  or  the  scarcity ;  for  had  I  happened  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  I 
might  have  had  hundreds  of  them  every  day,  as  I  found  afterwards,  but  perhaps  had 
paid  dear  enough  for  them. 

June  1 7  I  spent  in  cooking  the  turtle.  I  found  in  her  threescore  eggs ;  and  her 
flesh  was  to  me,  at  that  time,  the  most  savory  and  pleasant  that  ever  I  tasted  in  my 
life,  having  had  no  flesh,  but  of  goats  and  fowls,  since  I  landed  in  this  horrible  place. 

June  18. — Rained  all  the  day,  and  I  stayed  within.  I  thought,  at  this  time,  the 
rain  felt  cold,  and  I  was  something  chilly,  which  I  knew  was  not  usual  in  that  latitude. 

June  19. — Very  ill,  and  shivering,  as  if  the  weather  had  been  cold. 

June  20. — No  rest  all  night;   violent  pains  in  my  head,  and  feverish. 

June  21. — Very  ill;  frighted  almost  to  death  with  the  apprehensions  of  my  sad 
condition — to  be  sick,  and  no  help  :  prayed  to  God,  for  the  first  time  since  the  storm 
off  Hull,  but  scarce  knew  what  I  said  or  why ;   my  thoughts  being  all  confused. 

June  22. — A  little  better;   but  under  dreadful  apprehensions  of  sickness. 

June  23. — Very  bad  again ;   cold  and  shivering,  and  then  a  violent  headache. 

June  24. — Much  better. 

June  25. — An  ague,  very  violent:  the  fit  held  me  seven  hours  ;  cold  fit,  and  hot 
with  faint  sweats  after  it. 

June  26. — Better;  and  having  no  victuals  to  eat,  took  my  gun,  but  found  myself 
very  weak ;  however,  I  killed  a  she-goat,  and  with  much  difficulty  got  it  home,  and 
broiled  some  of  it,  and  ate.  I  would  fain  have  stewed  it  and  made  some  broth,  but 
had  no  pot. 

June  27. — The  ague  again  so  violent  that  I  lay  abed  all  day  and  neither  ate  nor 
drank.  I  was  ready  to  perish  for  thirst ;  but  so  weak  I  had  no  strength  to  stand  up, 
or  to  get  myself  any  water  to  drink.  Prayed  to  God  again,  but  was  light-headed  ;  and 
when  I  was  not,  I  was  so  ignorant  that  I  knew  not  what  to  say  ;  only  I  lay  and  cried, 
"  Lord,  look  upon  me  !  Lord,  pity  me  !  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me  !  "  I  suppose  I  did 
nothing  else  for  two  or  three  hours ;  tin  the  fit  wearing  off,  I  fell  asleep,  and  did  not 
awake  till  far  in  the  night.  When  I  awoke,  I  found  myself  much  refreshed,  but  weak, 
and  exceeding  thirsty ;  however,  as  I  had  no  water  in  my  whole  habitation,  I  was 
forced  to  lie  till  morning,  and  went  to  sleep  again.  In  this  second  sleep,  I  had  this 
terrible  dream :  I  thought  that  I  was  sitting  on  the  ground,  on  the  outside  of  my  wall, 
where  I  sat  when  the  storm  blew  after  the  earthquake,  and  that  I  saw  a  man  descend 
from  a  great  black  cloud,  in  a  bright  flame  of  fire,  and  light  upon  the  ground  :  he  was 
all  over  as  bright  as  a  flame,  so  that  I  could  but  just  bear  to  look  towards  him :   his 


04  Robinson  Crusoe. 

countenance  was  most  inexpressibly  dreadful,  impossible  for  words  to  describe  ;  when 
he  stepped  upon  the  ground  with  his  feet,  I  thought  the  earth  trembled,  just  as  it  had 
done  before  in  the  earthquake,  and  all  the  air  looked,  to  my  apprehension,  as  if  it  had 
been  filled  with  flashes  of  fire.  He  was  no  sooner  landed  upon  the  earth  but  he 
moved  forwards  towards  me,  with  a  long  spear  or  weapon  in  his  hand  to  kill  me  ;  and 
when  he  came  to  a  rising  ground,  at  some  distance,  he  spoke  to  me — or  I  heard  a 
voice  so  terrible  that  it  is  impossible  to  express  the  terror  of  it.  All  that  I  can  say  I 
understood  was  this: — "Seeing  all  these  things  have  not  brought  thee  to  repentance, 
now  thou  shalt  die  ;  "  at  which  words,  I  thought  he  lifted  up  the  spear  that  was  in  his 
hand  to  kill  me. 

No  one  that  shall  ever  read  this  account  will  expect  that  I  should  be  able  to 
describe  the  horrors  of  my  soul  at  this  terrible  vision.  I  mean  that  even  while  it  was 
a  dream,  I  even  dreamed  of  those  horrors.  Nor  is  it  any  more  possible  to  describe 
the  impression  that  remained  upon  my  mind  when  I  awaked,  and  found  it  was  but 
a  dream. 

I  had,  alas  !  no  divine  knowledge.  What  I  had  received  by  the  good  instruction 
of  my  father  was  then  worn  out  by  an  uninterrupted  series,  for  eight  years,  of  sea-faring 
wickedness,  and  a  constant  conversation  with  none  but  such  as  were,  like  myself, 
wicked  and  profane  to  the  last  degree.  I  do  not  remember  that  I  had,  in  all  that  time, 
one  thought  that  so  much  as  tended  either  to  looking  upwards  towards  God,  or  inwards 
towards  a  reflection  upon  my  own  ways  ;  but  a  certain  stupidity  of  soul,  without  desire 
of  good,  or  conscience  of  evil,  had  entirety  overwhelmed  me ;  and  I  was  all  that  the 
most  hardened,  unthinking,  wicked  creature  among  our  common  sailors  can  be 
supposed  to  be — not  having  the  least  sense,  either  of  the  fear  of  God  in  dangers,  or 
of  thankfulness  to  God  in  deliverances. 

In  the  relating  what  is  already  past  of  my  story,  this  will  be  the  more  easily  believed 
when  I  shall  add,  that  through  all  the  variety  of  miseries  that  had  to  this  day  befallen 
me,  I  never  had  so  much  as  one  thought  of  its  being  the  hand  of  God,  or  that  it  was 
a  just  punishment  for  my  sins — my  rebellious  behavior  against  my  father — or  my 
present  sins,  which  were  great — or  so  much  as  a  punishment  for  the  general  course  of 
my  wicked  life.  When  I  was  on  the  desperate  expedition  on  the  desert  shores  of 
Africa,  I  never  had  so  much  as  one  thought  of  what  would  become  of  me,  or  one 
wish  to  God  to  direct  me  whither  I  should  go,  or  to  keep  me  from  the  danger  which 
apparently  surrounded  me,  as  well  from  voracious  creatures  as  cruel  savages ;  but  I 
was  merely  thoughtless  of  God  or  a  Providence — I  acted  like  a  mere  brute,  from  the 
principles  of  nature,  and  by  the  dictates  of  common  sense  only,  and  indeed  hardly 
that.  When  I  was  delivered  and  taken  up  at  sea  by  the  Portugal  captain,  well  used, 
and  dealt  justly  and  honorably  with,  as  well  as  charitably,  I  had  not  the  least  thank- 
fulness in  my  thoughts.  When,  again,  I  was  shipwrecked,  ruined,  and  in  danger  of 
drowning  on  this  island,  I  was  as  far  from  remorse,  or  looking  on  it  as  a  judgment. 
I  only  said  to  myself  often  that  I  was  an  unfortunate  dog,  and  born  to  be  always 
miserable. 

It  is  true,  when  I  got  on  shore  first  here,  and  found  all  my  ship's  crew  drowned, 
and  myself  spared,  I  was  surprised  with  a  kind  of  ecstasy,  and  some  transports  of  soul, 


Thoughts  in  Sickness. 


65 


which,  had  the  grace  of  God  assisted,  might  have  come  up  to  true  thankfulness ;  but 

it  ended  where  it  began,  in  a  mere  common  flight  of  joy,  or,  as  I  may  say,  being  glad 

I  was  alive,  without  the  least  reflection  upon  the  distinguishing  goodness  of  the  Hand 

which  had  preserved  me,  and  had 

singled  me    out  to   be  preserved  . 

when  all  the  rest  were  destroyed,  .     s     v 

or  an  inquiry  why  Providence  had 

been  thus  merciful  to  me.     Even 


v.  ■-« 


"broiled  it  on  the  coals"  (/>.  67). 


just  the  same  common  sort  of  joy  which  seamen  generally  have  after  they  have  got  safe 
ashore  from  a  shipwreck,  all  which  they  drown  in  the  next  bowl  of  punch,  and  forget 
almost  as  soon  as  it  is  over,  and  all  the  rest  of  my  life  was  like  it.  Even  when  I  was 
afterwards,  on  due  consideration,  made  sensible  of  my  condition,  how  I  was  cast  on  this 
dreadful  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  humankind,  out  of  all  hope  of  relief,  or  prospect  of 
redemption,  as  soon  as  I  saw  a  probability  of  living,  and  that  I  should  not  starve  and 
perish  for  hunger,  all  the  sense  of  my  affliction  wore  off ;  and  I  began  to  be  very  easy, 
applied  myself  to  the  works  proper  for  my  preservation  and  supply,  and  was  far  enough 
from  being  afflicted  at  my  condition,  as  a  judgment  from  Heaven,  or  as  the  hand  of 
God  against  me :   these  were  thoughts  which  very  seldom  entered  into  my  head. 


66  Robinson  Crusoe. 

The  growing  up  of  the  corn,  as  is  hinted  in  my  Journal,  had,  at  first,  some  little 
influence  upon  me,  and  began  to  affect  me  with  seriousness,  as  long  as  I  thought  it 
had  something  miraculous  in  it ;  but  as  soon  as  ever  that  part  of  the  thought  was 
removed,  all  the  impression  which  was  raised  from  it  wore  off  also,  as  I  have  noted 
already.  Even  the  earthquake,  though  nothing  could  be  more  terrible  in  its  nature, 
or  more  immediately  directing  to  the  invisible  Power  which  alone  directs  such  things, 
yet  no  sooner  was  the  first  fright  over  but  the  impression  it  had  made  went  off  also. 
I  had  no  more  sense  of  God,  or  His  judgments — much  less  of  the  present  affliction 
of  my  circumstances  being  from  His  hand — than  if  I  had  been  in  the  most  prosperous 
condition  of  life.  But  now,  when  I  began  to  be  sick,  and  a  leisurely  view  of  the 
miseries  of  death  came  to  place  itself  before  me  ;  when  my  spirits  began  to  sink  under 
the  burden  of  a  strong  distemper,  and  nature  was  exhausted  with  the  violence  of  the 
fever,  conscience,  that  had  slept  so  long,  began  to  awake,  and  I  began  to  reproach 
myself  with  my  past  life,  in  which  I  had  so  evidently,  by  uncommon  wickedness, 
provoked  the  justice  of  God  to  lay  me  under  uncommon  strokes,  and  to  deal  with 
me  in  so  vindictive  a  manner.  These  reflections  oppressed  me  from  the  second 
or  third  day  of  my  distemper ;  and  in  the  violence,  as  well  of  the  fever  as  of  the 
dreadful  reproaches  of  my  conscience,  extorted  some  words  from  me  like  praying  to 
God,  though  I  cannot  say  they  were  either  a  prayer  attended  with  desires  or  with 
hopes  :  it  was  rather  the  voice  of  mere  fright  and  distress.  My  thoughts  were  confused, 
the  convictions  great  upon  my  mind,  and  the  horror  of  dying  in  such  a  miserable 
condition  raised  vapors  into  my  head  with  the  mere  apprehensions ;  and  in  these 
hurries  of  my  soul,  I  knew  not  what  my  tongue  might  express.  But  it  was  rather 
exclamation,  such  as,  "  Lord,  what  a  miserable  creature  am  I!  If  I  should  be  sick,  I 
shall  certainly  die  for  want  of  help,  and  what  will  become  of  me?  "  Then,  the  tears 
burst  out  of  my  eyes,  and  I  could  say  no  more  for  a  good  while.  In  this  interval,  the 
good  advice  of  my  father  came  to  my  mind,  and  presently  his  prediction,  which  I 
mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  story,  viz.,  that  if  I  did  take  this  foolish  step,  God 
would  not  bless  me,  and  I  would  have  leisure  hereafter  to  reflect  upon  having  neglected 
his  counsel,  when  there  might  be  none  to  assist  me  in  my  recovery.  "  Now,"  said  I 
aloud,  "  my  deal  father's  words  are  come  to  pass ;  God's  justice  has  overtaken  me,  and 
I  have  none  to  help  or  hear  me.  I  rejected  the  voice  of  Providence,  which  had 
mercifully  put  me  in  a  posture  or  station  of  life  wherein  I  might  have  been  happy  and 
easy ;  but  I  would  neither  see  it  myself,  nor  learn  to  know  the  blessing  of  it  from  my 
parents.  I  left  them  to  mourn  over  my  folly  ;  and  now  I  am  left  to  mourn  under  the 
consequences  of  it.  I  refused  their  help  and  assistance,  who  would  have  lifted  me  into 
the  world,  and  would  have  made  everything  easy  to  me  ;  and  now  I  have  difficulties  to 
struggle  with  too  great  for  even  nature  itself  to  support,  and  no  assistance,  no  help, 
no  comfort,  no  advice."  Then  I  cried  out,  "  Lord,  be  my  help,  for  I  am  in  great 
distress."  This  was  the  first  prayer,  if  I  might  call  it  so,  that  I  had  made  for  many 
years.     But  I  return  to  my  Journal :  — 

June  28. — Having  been  somewhat  refreshed  with  the  sleep  I  had  had,  and  the  fit 
being  entirely  off,  I  got  up  ;  and  though  the  fright  and  terror  of  my  dream  was  very 
great,  yet  I  considered  that  the  fit  of  the  ague  would  return  again  the  next  day,  and 


I  Reflect  on  my  Ingratitude.  67 

now  was  my  time  to  get  something  to  refresh  and  support  myself  when  i  snould  be  ill : 
and  the  first  thing  I  did,  I  filled  a  large  square  case-bottle  with  water,  and  set  it  upon 
my  table,  in  reach  of  my  bed ;  and  to  take  off  the  chill  or  aguish  disposition  of  the 
water,  I  put  about  a  quarter  of  a  pint  of  rum  into  it,  and  mixed  them  together.  Then 
I  got  me  a  piece  of  the  goat's  flesh,  and  broiled  it  on  the  coals,  but  could  eat  very 
little.  I  walked  about,  but  was  very  weak,  and  withal  very  sad  and  heavy-hearted  in 
the  sense  of  my  miserable  condition,  dreading  the  return  of  my  distemper  the  next  day. 
At  night,  I  made  my  supper  of  three  of  the  turtle's  eggs,  which  I  roasted  in  the  ashes, 
and  ate,  as  we  call  it,  in  the  shell,  and  this  was  the  first  bit  of  meat  I  had  ever  asked 
God's  blessing  to,  even,  as  I  could  remember,  in  my  whole  life. 

After  I  had  eaten,  I  tried  to  walk,  but  found  myself  so  weak  that  I  could  hardly 
carry  the  gun,  for  I  never  went  out  without  that ;  so  I  went  out  but  a  little  way,  and 
sat  down  upon  the  ground,  looking  out  upon  the  sea,  which  was  just  before  me,  and 
very  calm  and  smooth.  As  I  sat  there,  some  thoughts  such  as  these  occurred  to  me  :  — 
"  What  is  the  earth  and  sea,  of  which  I  have  seen  so  much?  Whence  is  it  produced? 
And  what  am  I,  and  all  the  other  creatures,  wild  and  tame,  human  and  brutal? 
Whence  are  we  ?  Sure  we  are  all  made  by  some  secret  Power,  who  formed  the  earth 
and  sea,  the  air  and  sky.  And  who  is  that  ?  "  Then  it  followed  most  naturally — "  It  is 
God  that  has  made  it  all.  Well,  but  then,"  it  came  on  strongly,  "  if  God  has  made  all 
these  things,  He  guides  and  governs  them  all,  and  all  things  that  concern  them ;  for 
the  Being  that  could  make  all  things  must  certainly  have  power  to  guide  and  direct 
them.  If  so,  nothing  can  happen,  in  the  great  circuit  of  His  works,  either  without  His 
knowledge  or  appointment. 

"  And  if  nothing  happens  without  His  knowledge,  He  knows  that  I  am  here,  and  am 
in  this  dreadful  condition  ;  and  if  nothing  happens  without  His  appointment,  He  has 
appointed  all  this  to  befall  me."  Nothing  occurred  to  my  thoughts  to  contradict  any 
of  these  conclusions,  and  therefore  it  rested  upon  me  with  the  greater  force,  that  it 
must  needs  be  that  God  had  appointed  all  this  to  befall  me  ;  that  I  was  brought  to 
this  miserable  circumstance  by  His  direction,  He  having  the  sole  power,  not  of  me  only, 
but  of  everything  that  happened  in  the  world.  Immediately  it  followed — "  Why  has 
God  done  this  to  me?  What  have  I  done  to  be  thus  used?  "  My  conscience  presently 
checked  me  in  that  inquiry,  as  if  I  had  blasphemed,  and  methought  it  spoke  to  me 
like  a  voice,  "Wretch,  dost  thou  ask  what  thou  hast  done?  Look  back  upon  a 
dreadful  misspent  life,  and  ask  thyself,  what  thou  hast  not  done?  Ask,  why  is  it  that 
thou  wert  not  long  ago  destroyed?  Why  wert  thou  not  drowned  in  Yarmouth 
Roads?  killed  in  the  fight,  when  the  ship  was  taken  by  the  Salle  man-of-war? 
devoured  by  the  wild  beasts  off  the  coast  of  Africa?  or  drowned  here,  when  all  the 
crew  perished  but  thyself?  Dost  thou  ask,  '  What  have  I  done  ?  '  "  I  was  struck  dumb 
with  these  reflections,  as  one  astonished,  and  had  not  a  word  to  say — no,  not  to 
answer  to  myself — but  rose  up  pensive  and  sad,  walked  back  to  my  retreat,  and  went 
up  over  my  wall,  as  if  I  had  been  going  to  bed  ;  but  my  thoughts  were  sadly  disturbed, 
and  I  had  no  inclination  to  sleep ;  so  I  sat  down  in  my  chair,  and  lighted  my  lamp, 
for  it  began  to  be  dark.  Now,  as  the  apprehensions  of  the  return  of  my  distemper 
terrified  me  very  much,  it  occurred  to  my  thought  that  the  Brazilians  take  no  physic 


68  Robinson  Crusoe. 

but  their  tobacco  for  almost  all  distempers,  and  I  had  a  piece  of  a  roll  of  tobacco  in 
one  of  the  chests,  which  was  quite  cured,  and  some  also  that  was  green,  and  not  quite 
cured. 

I  went,  directed  by  Heaven,  no  doubt ;  for  in  this  chest  I  found  a  cure  both  for 
soul  and  body.  I  opened  the  chest,  and  found  what  I  looked  for,  viz.,  the  tobacco ; 
and  as  the  few  books  I  had  saved  lay  there  too,  I  took  out  one  of  the  Bibles  which  I 
mentioned  before,  and  which  to  this  time  I  had  not  found  leisure,  or  so  much  as 
inclination,  to  look  into.  I  say  I  took  it  out,  and  brought  both  that  and  the  tobacco 
with  me  to  the  table.  What  use  to  make  of  the  tobacco  I  knew  not,  as  to  my 
distemper,  or  whether  it  was  good  for  it  or  no ;  but  I  tried  several  experiments  with 
it,  as  if  I  was  resolved  it  should  heal  one  way  or  other.  I  first  took  a  piece  of  leaf, 
and  chewed  it  in  my  mouth,  which  indeed,  at  first,  almost  stupefied  my  brain,  the 
tobacco  being  green  and  strong,  and  that  I  had  not  been  much  used  to  it.  Then  I 
took  some  and  steeped  it  an  hour  or  two  in  some  rum,  and  resolved  to  take  a  dose  of 
it  when  I  lay  down  ;  and,  lastly,  I  burnt  some  upon  a  pan  of  coals,  and  held  my  nose 
close  over  the  smoke  of  it  as  long  as  I  could  bear  it,  as  well  for  the  heat  as  the  virtue  of 
it,  and  I  held  it  almost  to  suffocation.  In  the  interval  of  this  operation,  I  took  up  the 
Bible,  and  began  to  read ;  but  my  head  was  too  much  disturbed  with  the  tobacco  to 
bear  reading,  at  least  at  that  time :  only  having  opened  the  book  casually,  the  words 
first  that  occurred  to  me  were  these,  "  Call  upon  Me  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  I  will 
deliver  thee,  and  thou  shalt  glorify  Me."  These  words  were  very  apt  to  my  case,  and 
made  some  impression  upon  my  thoughts  at  the  time  of  reading  them,  though  not  so 
much  as  they  did  afterwards  ;  for,  as  for  being  delivered,  the  word  had  no  sound,  as  I 
may  say,  to  me  :  the  thing  was  so  remote,  so  impossible  in  my  apprehension  of  things, 
that  I  began  to  say,  as  the  children  of  Israel  did  when  they  were  promised  flesh  to 
eat,  "Can  God  spread  a  table  in  the  wilderness?"  so  I  began  to  say,  "Can  God 
Himself  deliver  me  from  this  place  ?"  And  as  it  was  not  for  many  years  that  any 
hopes  appeared,  this  prevailed  very  often  upon  my  thoughts  ;  but,  however,  the  words 
made  a  great  impression  upon  me,  and  I  mused  upon  them  very  often  It  grew  now 
late,  and  the  tobacco  had,  as  I  said,  dozed  my  head  so  much  that  I  inclined  to  sleep : 
so  I  left  my  lamp  burning  in  the  cave,  lest  I  should  want  anything  in  the  night,  and 
went  to  bed.  But  before  I  lay  down,  I  did  what  I  never  had  done  in  all  my  life :  I 
kneeled  down,  and  prayed  to  God  to  fulfill  the  promise  to  me,  that  if  I  called  upon 
Him  in  the  day  of  trouble,  He  would  deliver  me.  After  my  broken  and  imperfect 
prayer  was  over,  I  drank  the  rum  in  which  I  had  steeped  the  tobacco,  which  was  so 
strong  and  rank  of  the  tobacco,  that  indeed  I  could  scarcely  get  it  down  ;  immediately 
upon  this  I  went  to  bed;  andl  found  presently  it  flew  up  into  my  head  violently; 
but  I  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  and  waked  no  more  till,  by  the  sun,  it  must  necessarily 
be  near  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  next  day ;  nay,  to  this  hour  I  am  partly  of 
opinion  that  I  slept  all  the  next  day  and  night,  and  till  almost  three  the  day  after ;  for 
otherwise  I  know  not  how  I  should  lose  a  day  out  of  my  reckoning  in  the  days  of  the 
week,  as  it  appeared  some  years  after  I  had  done  ;  for  if  I  had  lost  it  by  crossing  and 
re-crossing  the  line,  I  should  have  lost  more  than  one  day ;  but  in  my  account  it  was 
lost,  and  I  never  knew  which  way.     Be  that,  however,  one  way  or  other,  when  I 


Gradual  Recovery. 


69 


awaked  I  found  myself  exceedingly  refreshed,  and  my  spirits  lively  and  cheerful ;  when 
I  got  up  I  was  stronger  than  I  was  the  day  before,  and  my  stomach  better,  for  I  was 
hungry ;  and,  in  short,  I  had  no  fit  the  next  day,  but  continued  much  altered  for  the 
better.    This  was  the  29th. 

The  30th  was  my  well 
day,  of  course,  and  I  went 
abroad  with  my  gun,  but 
did  not  care  to  travel  too 
far.  I  killed  a  sea-fowl  or 
two,  something  like  a  brand 
goose,  and  brought  them 
home  ;  but  was  not  very  for- 
ward to  eat  them  ;  so  I  ate 
some  more  of  the  turtle's 
eggs,  which  were  very  good. 
This  evening  I  renewed  the 
medicine,  which  I  had  sup- 
posed did  me  good  the  day 
before,  viz.,  the  tobacco 
steeped  in  rum  ;  only  I  did 
not  take  so  much  as  before, 
nor  did  I  chew  any  of  the 
leaf,  or  hold  my  head  over 
the  smoke  ;  however,  I  was 
not  so  well  the  next  day, 
which  was  the  1st  of  July, 
as  I  hoped  I  should  have 
been ;  for  I  had  a  little 
spice  of  the  cold  fit,  but 
it  was  not  much. 

July  2. — I  renewed  the 
medicine  all  the  three  ways  ; 
and  dosed  myself  with  it  as 
at  first,  and  doubled  the 
quantity  which  I  drank. 

July  3. — I  missed  the  fit 
for  good  and  all,  though  I 
did  not  recover  my  full 
strength    for    some   weeks 

after.  While  I  was  thus  gathering  strength,  my  thoughts  ran  exceedingly  upon 
this  Scripture,  "  I  will  deliver  thee ;  "  and  the  impossibility  of  my  deliverance  lay 
much  upon  my  mind,  in  bar  of  my  ever  expecting  it ;  but  as  I  was  discouraging 
myself  with  such  thoughts,  it  occurred  to  my  mind  that  I  pored  so  much  upon  my 
deliverance    from  the    main    affliction,  that  I    disregarded   the   deliverance   I   had 


I    WENT    UP    THE    CREEK    FIRST"    (J>.    Jl). 


70  Robinson  Crusoe. 

received,  and  I  was,  as  it  were,  made  to  ask  myself  such  questions  as  these,  viz. : 
"Have  I  not  been  delivered,  and  wonderfully  too,  from  sickness?  from  the  most 
distressed  condition  that  could  be,  and  that  was  so  frightful  to  me?  and  what  notice 
had  I  taken  of  it?  Had  I  done  my  part?  God  had  delivered  me,  but  I  had  not 
glorified  Him ;  that  is  to  say,  I  had  not  owned  and  been  thankful  for  that  as  a 
deliverance  ;  and  how  could  I  expect  greater  deliverance?  "  This  touched  my  heart 
very  much ;  and  immediately  I  kneeled  down,  and  gave  God  thanks  aloud  for  my 
recovery  from  my  sickness. 

■July  4. — In  the  morning,  I  took  the  Bible  ;  and  beginning  at  the  New  Testament, 
I  began  seriously  to  read  it,  and  imposed  upon  myself  to  read  awhile  every  morning 
and  every  night ;  not  tying  myself  to  the  number  of  chapters,  but  as  long  as  my 
thoughts  should  engage  me.  It  was  not  long  after  I  set  seriously  to  this  work,  till  I 
found  my  heart  more  deeply  and  sincerely  affected  with  the  wickedness  of  my  past  life. 
The  impression  of  my  dream  revived ;  and  the  words,  "  All  these  things  have  not 
brought  thee  to  repentance,"  ran  seriously  in  my  thoughts.  I  was  earnestly  begging 
of  God  to  give  me  repentance,  when  it  happened  providentially  the  very  day  that, 
reading  the  Scripture,  I  came  to  these  words :  "  He  is  exalted  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour, 
to  give  repentance  and  to  give  remission."  I  threw  down  the  book  ;  and  with  my  heart 
as  well  as  my  hands  lifted  up  to  heaven,  in  a  kind  of  ecstasy  of  joy,  I  cried  out  aloud, 
"Jesus,  Thou  Son  of  David!  Jesus,  Thou  exalted  Prince  and  Saviour!  give  me 
repentance!"  This  was  the  first  time  I  could  say,  in  the  true  sense  of  the  words, 
that  I  prayed  in  all  my  life  ;  for  now  I  prayed  with  a  sense  of  my  condition,  and  with  a 
true  Scripture  view  of  hope,  founded  on  the  encouragement  of  the  Word  of  God  ;  and 
from  this  time,  I  may  say,  I  began  to  have  hope  that  God  would  hear  me. 

Now  I  began  to  construe  the  words  mentioned  above,  "  Call  on  Me,  and  I  will 
deliver  thee,"  in  a  different  sense  from  what  I  had  ever  done  before  ;  for  then  I  had  no 
notion  of  anything  being  called  deliverance  but  my  being  delivered  from  the  captivity 
I  was  in  ;  for  though  I  was  indeed  at  large  in  the  place,  yet  the  island  was  certainly 
a  prison  to  me,  and  that  in  the  worst  sense  in  the  Avorld.  But  now  I  learned  to  take 
it  in  another  sense ;  now  I  looked  back  upon  my  past  life  with  such  horror,  and  my 
sins  appeared  so  dreadful,  that  my  soul  sought  nothing  of  God  but  deliverance  from 
the  load  of  guilt  that  bore  down  all  my  comfort.  As  for  my  solitary  life,  it  was 
nothing  ;  I  did  not  so  much  as  pray  to  be  delivered  from  it,  or  think  of  it ;  it  was  all  of 
no  consideration,  in  comparison  of  this.  And  I  added  this  part  here,  to  hint  to 
whoever  shall  read  it,  that  whenever  they  come  to  a  true  sense  of  things,  they  will  find 
deliverance  from  sin  a  much  greater  blessing  than  deliverance  from  affliction. 

But,  leaving  this  part,  I  return  to  my  Journal:  — 

My  condition  began  now  to  be,  though  not  less  miserable  as  to  my  way  of  living, 
yet  much  easier  to  my  mind  :  and  my  thoughts  being  directed,  by  a  constant  reading 
the  Scripture  and  praying  to  God,  to  things  of  a  higher  nature,  I  had  a  great  deal  of 
comfort  within,  which,  till  now,  I  knew  nothing  of ;  also,  my  health  and  strength 
returned,  I  bestirred  myself  to  furnish  myself  with  everything  that  I  wanted,  and  make 
my  way  of  living  as  regular  as  I  could. 

From  the  4th  of  July  to  the  14th,  I  was  chiefly  employed  in  walking  about  with 


The  Fertile  Side  of  the  Island.  71 

my  gun  in  my  hand,  a  little  and  a  little  at  a  time,  as  a  man  that  was  gathering  up  his 
strength  after  a  fit  of  sickness :  for  it  is  hardly  to  be  imagined  how  low  I  was,  and  to 
what  weakness  I  was  reduced.  The  application  which  I  made  use  of  was  perfectly 
new,  and  perhaps  what  had  never  cured  an  ague  before  ;  neither  can  I  recommend  it 
to  any  one  to  practice,  by  this  experiment ;  and  though  it  did  carry  off  the  fit,  yet 
it  rather  contributed  to  weaken  me  ;  for  I  had  frequent  convulsions  in  my  nerves  and 
limbs  for  some  time  ;  I  learned  from  it  also  this,  in  particular,  that  being  abroad  in  the 
rainy  season  was  the  most  pernicious  thing  to  my  health  that  could  be,  especially  in 
those  rains  which  came  attended  with  storms  and  hurricanes  of  wind ;  for  as  the  rain 
which  came  in  a  dry  season  was  always  most  accompanied  with  such  storms,  so  I 
found  this  rain  was  much  more  dangerous  than  the  rain  which  fell  in  September  and 
October. 

I  had  now  been  in  this  unhappy  island  above  ten  months ;  all  possibility  of 
deliverance  from  this  condition  seemed  to  be  entirely  taken  from  me ;  and  I  firmly 
believed  that  no  human  shape  had  ever  set  foot  upon  that  place.  Having  now  secured 
my  habitation,  as  I  thought,  fully  to  my  mind,  I  had  a  great  desire  to  make  a  more 
perfect  discovery  of  the  island,  and  to  see  what  other  productions  I  might  find,  which 
yet  I  knew  nothing  of. 

It  was  the  15th  of  July  that  I  began  to  take  a  more  particular  survey  of  the 
island  itself.  I  went  up  the  creek  first,  where,  as  I  hinted,  I  brought  my  rafts  on 
shore.  I  found,  after  I  came  about  two  miles  up,  that  the  tide  did  not  flow  any 
higher ;  and  that  it  was  no  more  than  a  little  brook  of  running  water,  and  very  fresh 
and  good  :  but  this  being  the  dry  season,  there  was  hardly  any  water  in  some  parts  of 
it ;  at  least,  not  enough  to  run  in  any  stream,  so  as  it  could  be  perceived.  On  the  banks 
of  this  brook,  I  found  many  pleasant  savannahs  or  meadows,  plain,  smooth,  and  covered 
with  grass ;  and  on  the  rising  parts  of  them,  next  to  the  higher  grounds,  where  the 
water,  as  it  might  be  supposed,  never  overflowed,  I  found  a  great  deal  of  tobacco, 
green,  and  growing  to  a  great  and  very  strong  stalk ;  there  were  divers  other  plants, 
which  I  had  no  notion  of  or  understanding  about,  and  might,  perhaps,  have  virtues  of 
their  own,  which  I  could  not  find  out.  I  searched  for  the  cassava  root,  which  the 
Indians  in  all  that  climate  make  their  bread  of,  but  I  could  find  none.  I  saw  large 
plants  of  aloes,  but  did  not  then  understand  them.  I  saw  several  sugar-canes,  but 
wild  and,  fcr  want  of  cultivation,  imperfect.  I  contented  myself  with  these  discoveries 
for  this  time,  and  came  back,  musing  with  myself  what  course  I  might  take  to  know 
the  virtue  and  goodness  of  any  of  the  fruits  of  plants  which  I  should  discover ;  but 
could  bring  it  to  no  conclusion:  for,  in  short,  I  had  made  so  little  observation  while  I 
was  in  the  Brazils,  that  I  knew  little  of  the  plants  of  the  field  ;  at  least,  very  little  that 
might  serve  me  to  any  purpose  now  in  my  distress. 

The  next  day,  the  16th,  I  went  up  the  same  way  again  ;  and  after  going  something 
further  than  I  had  gone  the  day  before,  I  found  the  brook  and  savannahs  cease,  and 
the  country  became  more  woody  than  before.  In  this  part  I  found  different  fruits,  and 
particularly  I  found  melons  upon  the  ground,  in  great  abundance,  and  grapes  upon 
the  trees :  the  vines  had  spread  indeed  over  the  trees,  and  the  clusters  of  grapes  were 
just  now  in  their  prime,  very  ripe  and  rich.     This  was  a  surprising  discovery,  and  I 


72 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


was  exceeding  glad  of  them ;  but  I  was  warned  by  my  experience  to  eat  sparingly  of 
them,  remembering  that,  when  I  was  ashore  in  Barbary,  the  eating  of  grapes  killed 
several  of  our  Englishmen,  who  were  slaves  there,  by  throwing  them  into  fluxes  and 
fevers.     But  I  found  an  excellent  use  for  these  grapes :  and  that  was,  to  cure  or  dry 


"^r3* 


"i    SOWED    MY    GRAIN"    {p.   75). 


them  in  the  sun,  and  keep  them  as  dried  grapes  or  raisins  are  kept,  which  I  thought 
would  be,  as  indeed  they  were,  as  wholesome  and  as  agreeable  to  eat,  when  no  grapes 
might  be  had. 

I  spent  all  that  evening  there,  and  went  not  back  to  my  habitation,  which,  by  the 
way,  was  the  first  night,  as  I  might  say,  I  had  lain  from  home.  In  the  night  I  took 
my  first  contrivance,  and  got  up  into  a  tree,  where  I  slept  well ;  and  the  next  morning 
proceeded  upon  my  discovery,  traveling  nearly  four  miles,  as  I  might  judge  by  the 
length  of  the  valley,  keeping  still  due  north,  with  a  ridge  of  hills  on  the  south   and 


Fresh  Discoveries.  73 

north  side  of  me.  At  the  end  of  this  march  I  came  to  an  opening,  where  the 
country  seemed  to  descend  to  the  west ;  and  a  little  spring  of  fresh  water,  which 
issued  out  of  the  side  of  the  hill  by  me,  ran  the  other  way,  that  is,  due  east ;  and 
the  country  appeared  so  fresh,  so  green,  so  nourishing,  everything  being  in  a  constant 
verdure,  or  nourish  of  spring,  that  it  looked  like  a  planted  garden.  I  descended  a 
little  on  the  side  of  that  delicious  valley,  surveying  it  with  a  secret  kind  of  pleasure, 
though  mixed  with  other  afflicting  thoughts,  to  think  that  this  was  all  my  own ;  that 
I  was  king  and  lord  of  all  this  country  indefeasibly,  and  had  a  right  of  possession ; 
and,  if  I  could  convey  it,  I  might  have  it  in  inheritance  as  completely  as  any  lord  of 
a  manor  in  England.  I  saw  here  abundance  of  cocoa-trees,  orange  and  lemon,  and 
citron-trees  ;  but  all  wild,  and  few  bearing  any  fruit,  at  least  not  then.  However,  the 
green  limes  that  I  gathered  were  not  only  pleasant  to  eat,  but  very  wholesome  ;  and  I 
mixed  their  juice  afterwards  with  water,  which  made  it  very  wholesome,  and  very  cool 
and  refreshing.  I  found  now  I  had  business  enough  to  gather  and  carry  home  ;  and 
I  resolved  to  lay  up  a  store,  as  well  of  grapes  as  limes  and  lemons,  to  furnish 
myself  for  the  wet  season,  which  I  knew  was  approaching.  In  order  to  do  this,  I 
gathered  a  great  heap  of  grapes  in  one  place,  a  lesser  heap  in  another  place,  and  a 
great  parcel  of  limes  and  lemons  in  another  place  ;  and  taking  a  few  of  each  with  me, 
I  traveled  homeward,  and  resolved  to  come  again,  and  bring  a  bag  or  sack,  or  what 
I  could  make  to  carry  the  rest  home.  Accordingly,  having  spent  three  days  in  this 
journey,  I  came  home  (so  I  must  now  call  my  tent  and  my  cave) ;  but  before  I  got 
thither,  the  grapes  were  spoiled;  the  richness  of  the  fruit,  and  the  weight  of  the  juice, 
having  broken  them  and  bruised  them,  they  were  good  for  little  or  nothing :  as  to  the 
limes,  they  were  good,  but  I  could  bring  but  a  few. 

The  next  day,  being  the  19th,  I  went  back,  having  made  me  two  small  bags  to 
bring  home  my  harvest ;  but  I  was  surprised  when,  coming  to  my  heap  of  grapes, 
which  were  so  rich  and  fine  when  I  gathered  them,  I  found  them  all  spread  abroad, 
trodden  to  pieces,  and  dragged  about,  some  here,  some  there,  and  abundance  eaten 
and  devoured.  By  this  I  concluded  there  were  some  wild  creatures  thereabouts,  which 
had  done  this ;  but  what  they  were  I  knew  not.  However,  as  I  found  there  was  no 
laying  them  up  on  heaps,  and  no  carrying  them  away  in  a  sack,  but  that  one  way  they 
would  be  destroyed,  and  the  other  way  they  would  be  crushed  with  their  own  weight, 
I  took  another  course ;  for  I  gathered  a  large  quantity  of  the  grapes,  and  hung  them 
upon  the  out  branches  of  the  trees,  that  they  might  cure  and  dry  in  the  sun ;  and  as 
for  the  limes  and  lemons,  I  carried  as  many  back  as  I  could  well  stand  under. 

When  I  came  home  from  this  journey,  I  contemplated  with  great  pleasure  the 
fruitfulness  of  that  valley,  and  the  pleasantness  of  the  situation ;  the  security  from 
storm  on  that  side  of  the  water,  and  the  wood ;  and  concluded  that  I  had  pitched 
upon  a  place  to  fix  my  abode  which  was  by  far  the  worst  part  of  the  country.  Upon 
the  whole,  I  began  to  consider  of  removing  my  habitation,  and  to  look  out  for  a 
place  equally  safe  as  where  now  I  was  situate,  if  possible,  in  that  pleasant,  fruitful 
part  of  the  island. 

This  thought  ran  long  in  my  head,  and  I  was  exceeding  fond  of  it  for  some  time, 
the  pleasantness  of  the  place  tempting  me ;   but  when  I  came  to  a  nearer  view  of  it,  I 


74  Robinson  Crusoe. 

considered  that  I  was  now  by  the  sea-side,  where  it  was  at  least  possible  that  some- 
thing might  happen  to  my  advantage ;  and  that  the  same  ill  fate  that  brought  me 
hither,  might  bring  some  other  unhappy  wretches  to  the  same  place ;  and  though  it 
was  scarce  probable  that  any  such  thing  should  ever  happen,  yet  to  inclose  myself 
among  the  hills  and  woods  in  the  center  of  the  island  was  to  anticipate  my  bondage, 
and  to  render  such  an  affair  not  only  improbable  but  impossible  ;  and  that  therefore  I 
ought  not  by  any  means  to  remove.  However,  I  was  so  enamored  with  this  place 
that  I  spent  much  of  my  time  there  for  the  whole  remaining  part  of  the  month  of  July ; 
and  though,  upon  second  thoughts,  I  resolved  as  above  not  to  remove,  yet  I  built  me 
a  little  kind  of  a  bower,  and  surrounded  it  at  a  distance  with  a  strong  fence,  being  a 
double  hedge,  as  high  as  I  could  reach,  well  staked,  and  filled  between  with  brush- 
wood ;  and  here  I  lay  very  secure,  sometimes  two  or  three  nights  together,  always 
going  over  it  with  a  ladder  as  before  ;  so  that  I  fancied  now  I  had  my  country  house 
and  my  sea-coast  house ;   and  this  work  took  me  up  to  the  beginning  of  August. 

I  had  but  newly  finished  my  fence,  and  began  to  enjoy  my  labor,  but  the  rains 
came  on,  and  made  me  stick  close  to  my  first  habitation  ;  for  though  I  had  made  me 
a  tent  like  the  other,  with  a  piece  of  a  sail,  and  spread  it  very  well,  yet  I  had  not  the 
shelter  of  a  hill  to  keep  me  from  storms,  nor  a  cave  behind  me  to  retreat  into  when 
the  rains  were  extraordinary. 

About  the  beginning  of  August,  as  I  said,  I  had  finished  my  bower,  and  began  to 
enjoy  myself.  The  3d  of  August,  I  found  the  grapes  I  had  hung  up  were  perfectly 
dried,  and  indeed  were  excellent  good  raisins  of  the  sun ;  so  I  began  to  take  them 
down  from  the  trees,  and  it  was  very  happy  that  I  did  so,  for  the  rains  which  followed 
would  have  spoiled  them,  and  I  had  lost  the  best  part  of  my  winter  food ;  for  I  had 
above  two  hundred  large  bunches  of  them.  No  sooner  had  I  taken  them  all  down, 
and  carried  most  of  them  home  to  my  cave,  but  it  began  to  rain ;  and  from  hence, 
which  was  the  14th  of  August,  it  rained  more  or  less  every  day  till  the  middle  of 
October,  and  sometimes  so  violently  that  I  could  not  stir  out  of  my  cave  for  several 
days. 

In  this  season  I  was  much  surprised  with  the  increase  of  my  family ;  I  had  been 
concerned  for  the  loss  of  one  of  my  cats,  who  ran  away  from  me,  or,  as  I  thought,  had 
been  dead,  and  I  heard  no  more  tidings  of  her  till,  to  my  astonishment,  she  came 
home  about  the  end  of  August,  with  three  kittens.  This  was  the  more  strange  to  me 
because,  though  I  had  killed  a  wild  cat,  as  I  called  it,  with  my  gun,  yet  I  thought  it 
was  a  quite  different  kind  from  our  European  cats  ;  but  the  young  cats  were  the  same 
kind  of  house-breed  as  the  old  one  ;  and  both  my  cats  being  females,  I  thought  it  very 
strange.  But  from  these  three  cats  I  afterwards  came  to  be  so  pestered  with  cats,  that 
I  was  forced  to  kill  them  like  vermin,  or  wild  beasts,  and  to  drive  them  from  my  house 
as  much  as  possible. 

From  the  14th  of  August  to  the  26th,  incessant  rain,  so  that  I  could  not  stir,  and 
was  now  very  careful  not  to  be  much  wet.  In  this  confinement,  I  began  to  be 
straitened  for  food :  but  venturing  out  twice,  I  one  day  killed  a  goat ;  and  the  last 
day,  which  was  the  26th,  found  a  very  large  tortoise,  which  was  a  treat  to  me,  and  my 
food  was  regulated  thus : — I  ate  a  bunch  of  raisins  for  my  breakfast ;   a  piece  of  the 


The  Anniversary  of  my  Shipwreck.  75 

goat's  flesh,  or  of  the  turtle,  for  my  dinner,  broiled  (for,  to  my  great  misfortune,  I  had 
no  vessel  to  boil  or  stew  anything),  and  two  or  three  of  the  turtle's  eggs  for  supper. 

During  this  confinement  in  my  cover  by  the  rain,  I  worked  daily  two  or  three 
hours  at  enlarging  my  cave,  and  by  degrees  worked  it  on  towards  one  side,  till  I  came 
to  the  outside  of  the  hill,  and  made  a  door  or  way  out,  which  came  beyond  my  fence 
or  wall ;  and  so  I  came  in  and  out  this  way.  But  I  was  not  perfectly  easy  at  lying  so 
open ;  for,  as  I  had  managed  myself  before,  I  was  in  a  perfect  inclosure  ;  whereas  now, 
I  thought,  I  lay  exposed,  and  yet  I  could  not  perceive  that  there  was  any  living  thing 
to  fear ;   the  biggest  creature  that  I  had  yet  seen  upon  the  island  being  a  goat. 

Sept.  30. — I  was  now  come  to  the  unhappy  anniversary  of  my  landing.  I  cast  up 
the  notches  on  my  post,  and  found  I  had  been  on  shore  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
days.  I  kept  this  day  as  a  solemn  fast,  setting  it  apart  for  religious  exercise,  prostrating 
myself  on  the  ground  with  the  most  serious  humiliation,  confessing  my  sins  to  God, 
acknowledging  His  righteous  judgment  upon  me,  and  praying  to  Him  to  have  mercy 
on  me  through  Jesus  Christ ;  and  having  not  tasted  the  least  refreshment  for  twelve 
hours,  even  till  the  going  down  of  the  sun,  I  then  ate  a  biscuit-cake  and  a  bunch  of 
grapes,  and  went  to  bed,  finishing  the  day  as  I  began  it.  I  had  all  this  time  observed 
no  Sabbath-day,  for  as  at  first  I  had  no  sense  of  religion  upon  my  mind,  I  had,  after 
some  time,  omitted  to  distinguish  the  weeks  by  making  a  longer  notch  than  ordinary 
for  the  Sabbath-day,  and  so  did  not  really  know  what  any  of  the  days  were  ;  but  now, 
having  cast  up  the  days  as  above,  I  found  I  had  been  there  a  year ;  so  I  divided 
it  into  weeks,  and  set  apart  every  seventh  day  for  a  Sabbath ;  though  I  found  at  the 
end  of  my  account  I  had  lost  a  day  or  two  in  my  reckoning.  A  little  after  this,  my 
ink  began  to  fail  me,  and  so  I  contented  myself  to  use  it  more  sparingly,  and  to 
write  down  only  the  most  remarkable  events  of  my  life,  without  continuing  a  daily 
memorandum  of  other  things. 

The  rainy  season  and  the  dry  season  began  to  now  appear  regular  to  me,  and  I 
learned  to  divide  them  so  as  to  provide  for  them  accordingly ;  but  I  bought  all  my 
experience  before  I  had  it,  and  this  I  am  going  to  relate  was  one  of  the  most  dis- 
couraging experiments  that  I  made  at  all. 

I  have  mentioned  that  I  had  saved  the  few  ears  of  barley  and  rice  which  I  had  so 
surprisingly  found  spring  up,  as  I  thought,  of  themselves ;  and  I  believe  there  were 
about  thirty  stalks  of  rice,  and  about  twenty  of  barley  ;  and  now  I  thought  it  a  proper 
time  to  sow  it,  after  the  rains,  the  sun  being  in  his  southern  position,  going  from  me. 
Accordingly,  I  dug  up  a  piece  of  ground  as  well  as  I  could  with  my  wooden  spade, 
and  dividing  it  into  two  parts,  I  sowed  my  grain ;  but  as  I  was  sowing,  it  casually 
occurred  to  my  thoughts  that  I  would  not  sow  it  all  at  first,  because  I  did  not 
know  when  was  the  proper  time  for  it,  so  I  sowed  about  two-thirds  of  the  seed, 
leaving  about  a  handful  of  each.  It  was  a  great  comfort  to  me  afterwards  that  I  did 
so,  for  not  one  grain  of  that  I  sowed  this  time  came  to  anything ;  for  the  dry  months 
following,  the  earth  having  had  no  rain  after  the  seed  was  sown,  it  had  no  moisture  to 
assist  its  growth,  and  never  came  up  at  all  till  the  wet  season  had  come  again,  and 
then  it  grew  as  if  it  had  been  newly  sown.  Finding  my  first  seed  did  not  grow,  which 
I  easily  imagined  was  by  the  drought,  I  sought  for  a  moister  piece  of  ground,  to 


j  6  Robinson  Crusoe. 

make  another  trial  in,  and  I  dug  up  a  piece  of  ground  near  my  new  bower,  and  sowed 
the  rest  of  my  seed  in  February,  a  little  before  the  vernal  equinox  ;  and  this,  having  the 
rainy  months  of  March  and  April  to  water  it,  sprang  up  very  pleasantly,  and  yielded  a 
very  good  crop  ;  but  having  part  of  the  seed  left  only,  and  not  daring  to  sow  all  that  I 
had  got,  I  had  but  a  small  quantity  at  last,  my  whole  crop  not  amounting  to  above  half 
a  peck  of  each  kind.  But  by  this  experiment  I  was  made  master  of  my  business,  and 
knew  exactly  when  the  proper  season  was  to  sow,  and  that  1  might  expect  two  seed- 
times and  two  harvests  every  year.  While  this  corn  was  growing  I  made  a  little 
discovery,  which  was  of  use  to  me  afterwards.  As  soon  as  the  rains  were  over,  and  the 
weather  began  to  settle,  which  was  about  the  month  of  November,  I  made  a  visit  up 
the  country  to  my  bower,  where,  though  I  had  not  been  some  months,  I  found  all 
things  just  as  I  left  them.  The  circle  or  double  hedge  that  I  had  made  was  not  only 
firm  and  entire,  but  the  stakes  which  I  had  cut  off  of  some  trees  that  grew  thereabouts 
were  all  shot  out  and  grown  with  long  branches,  as  much  as  a  willow-tree  usually 
shoots  the  first  year  after  lopping  its  head.  I  could  not  tell  what  tree  to  call  it  that 
the  stakes  were  cut  from.  I  was  surprised,  and  yet  very  well  pleased,  to  see  the  young 
trees  grow ;  and  I  pruned  them,  and  led  them  up  to  grow  as  much  alike  as  I  could ; 
and  it  is  scarcely  credible  how  beautiful  a  figure  they  grew  into,  in  three  years  ;  so  that 
though  the  hedge  made  a  circle  of  about  twenty-five  yards  in  diameter,  yet  the  trees, 
for  such  I  might  now  call  them,  soon  covered  it,  and  it  was  a  complete  shade,  sufficient 
to  lodge  under  all  the  dry  season.  This  made  me  resolve  to  cut  some  more  stakes, 
and  make  me  a  hedge  like  this  in  a  semicircle  round  my  wall  (I  mean  that  of  my  first 
dwelling),  which  I  did  ;  and  placing  the  trees  or  stakes  in  a  double  row,  at  about  eight 
yards  distance  from  my  first  fence,  they  grew  presently,  and  were  at  first  a  fine  cover 
to  my  habitation,  and  afterwards  served  for  a  defense  also,  as  I  shall  observe  in  its 
order. 

I  found  now  that  the  seasons  of  the  year  might  generally  be  divided,  not  into 
summer  and  winter,  as  in  Europe,  but  into  the  rainy  seasons  and  the  dry  seasons, 
which  were  generally  thus  : 

The  half  of  February,  the  whole  of  March,  and  the  half  of  April — rainy,  the  sun 
being  then  on  or  near  the  equinox. 

The  half  of  April,  the  whole  of  May,  June,  and  July,  and  the  half  of  August — dry, 
the  sun  being  then  to  the  north  of  the  line. 

The  half  of  August,  the  whole  of  September,  and  the  half  of  October — rainy,  the 
sun  being  then  come  back. 

The  half  of  October,  the  whole  of  November,  December,  and  January,  and  the  half 
of  February — dry,  the  sun  being  then  to  the  south  of  the  line. 

The  rainy  seasons  sometimes  held  longer  or  shorter  as  the  winds  happened  to 
blow,  but  this  was  the  general  observation  I  made.  After  I  had  found,  by  experience, 
the  ill  consequence  of  being  abroad  in  the  rain,  I  took  care  to  furnish  myself  with 
provisions  beforehand,  that  I  might  not  be  obliged  to  go  out,  and  I  sat  within  doors 
as  much  as  possible  during  the  wet  months.  In  this  time  I  found  much  employment, 
and  very  suitable  aiso  to  the  time,  for  I  found  great  occasion  of  many  things  which  I 
had  no  way  to  furnish  myself  with  but  by  hard  labor  and  constant  application ; 


'I   DESCENDED   A   LITTLE  ON   THE   SIDE  OF   THAT  DELICIOUS   VALLEY." 


(See  p.  73.) 


Ba  ske  t-ma  king. 


77 


particularly,  I  tried  many  ways  to  make  myself  a  basket,  but  all  the  twigs  I  could  get 
for  the  purpose  proved  so  brittle  that  they  would  do  nothing.  It  proved  of  excellent 
advantage  to  me  now  that  when  I  was  a  boy  I  used  to  take  great  delight  in  standing 
at  a  basket-maker's,  in  the  town  where  my  father  lived,  to  see  them  make  their 


"  X    KNOCKED    IT    DOWN    WITH    A    STICK"    (/.    79). 


wicker-ware  ;  and  being,  as  boys  usually  are,  very  officious  to  help,  and  a  great  observer 
of  the  manner  how  they  worked  those  things,  and  sometimes  lent  a  hand,  I  had  by  this 
means  so  full  knowledge  of  the  methods  of  it,  that  I  wanted  nothing  but  the  materials  ; 
when  it  came  into  my  mind  that  the  twigs  of  that  tree  from  whence  I  cut  my  stakes 
that  grew  might  possibly  be  as  tough  as  the  sallows,  willows,  and  osiers  in  England,  and 
I  resolved  to  try.  Accordingly,  the  next  day  I  went  to  my  country  house,  as  I  called 
it,  and  cutting  some  of  the  smaller  twigs,  I  found  them  to  my  purpose  as  much  as  I 


78  Robinson  Crusoe. 

could  desire  ;  whereupon  I  came  the  next  time  prepared  with  a  hatchet  to  cut  down 
a  quantity,  which  I  soon  found,  for  there  was  a  great  plenty  of  them.  These  I  set  up 
to  dry  within  my  circle  of  hedges,  and  when  they  were  fit  for  use,  I  carried  them  to  my 
cave ;  and  here,  during  the  next  season,  I  employed  myself  in  making,  as  well  as  I 
could,  a  great  many  baskets,  both  to  carry  earth  or  to  carry  or  lay  up  anything,  as  I 
had  occasion  ;  and  though  I  did  not  finish  them  very  handsomely,  yet  I  made  them 
sufficiently  serviceable  for  my  purpose ;  and  thus,  afterwards,  I  took  care  never  to  be 
without  them  ;  and  as  my  wicker-ware  decayed,  I  made  more,  especially  strong,  deep 
baskets  to  place  my  corn  in,  instead  of  sacks,  when  I  should  come  to  have  any 
quantity  of  it. 

Having  mastered  this  difficulty,  and  employed  a  world  of  time  about  it,  I  bestirred 
myself  to  see,  if  possible,  how  to  supply  two  wants.  I  had  no  vessel  to  hold  anything 
that  was  liquid,  except  two  runlets,  which  were  almost  full  of  rum,  and  some  glass 
bottles — some  of  the  common  size,  and  others  which  were  case-bottles,  square,  for  the 
holding  of  water,  spirits,  etc.  I  had  not  so  much  as  a  pot  to  boil  anything  in,  except 
a  great  kettle,  which  I  saved  out  of  the  ship,  and  which  was  too  big  for  such  uses  as 
I  desired  it  for — viz.,  to  make  broth  and  stew  a  bit  of  meat  by  itself.  The  second 
thing  I  fain  would  have  had  was  a  tobacco-pipe,  but  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  make 
one  ;  however,  I  found  a  contrivance  for  that,  too,  at  last.  I  employed  myself  in 
planting  my  second  row  of  stakes  or  piles,  and  in  this  wicker-work,  all  the  summer  or 
dry  season,  when  another  business  took  me  up  more  time  than  it  could  be  imagined  I 
could  spare. 

I  mentioned  before  that  I  had  a  great  mind  to  see  the  whole  island,  and  that  I  had 
traveled  up  the  brook,  and  so  on  to  where  I  built  my  bower,  and  where  I  had  an 
opening  quite  to  the  sea  on  the  other  side  of  the  island.  I  now  resolved  to  travel 
quite  across  to  the  sea-shore  on  that  side  ;  so,  taking  my  gun,  a  hatchet,  and  my  dog, 
and  a  larger  quantity  of  powder  and  shot  than  usual,  with  two  biscuit-cakes  and  a 
great  bunch  of  raisins  in  my  pouch  for  my  store,  I  began  my  journey.  When  I  had 
passed  the  vale  where  my  bower  stood,  as  above,  I  came  within  view  of  the  sea  to 
the  west,  and  it  being  a  very  clear  day,  I  fairly  descried  land — whether  an  island  or  a 
continent  I  could  not  tell ;  but  it  lay  very  high,  extending  from  the  W.  to  the  W.S.W., 
at  a  very  great  distance ;  by  my  guess,  it  could  not  be  less  than  fifteen  or  twenty 
leagues  off. 

I  could  not  tell  what  part  of  the  world  this  might  be,  otherwise  than  that  I  knew 
it  must  be  part  of  America,  and,  as  I  concluded,  by  all  my  observations,  must  be  near 
the  Spanish  dominions,  and  perhaps  was  all  inhabited  by  savages,  where,  if  I  should 
have  landed,  I  had  been  in  a  worse  condition  than  I  was  now ;  and  therefore  I 
acquiesced  in  the  dispositions  of  Providence,  which  I  began  now  to  own  and  to  believe 
ordered  everything  for  the  best ;  I  say  I  quieted  my  mind  with  this,  and  left  afflicting 
myself  with  fruitless  wishes  of  being  there. 

Besides,  after  some  pause  upon  this  affair,  I  considered  that  if  this  land  was  the 
Spanish  coast,  I  should  certainly,  one  time  or  other,  see  some  vessel  pass  or 
repass  one  way  or  other ;  but  if  not,  then  it  was  the  savage  coast  between  the 
Spanish   country  and  the  Brazils,  which  were    indeed    the  worst  of  savages ;    for 


"A   Table  in  the  Wilderness."  79 

they  are  cannibals,  and  fail  not  to  murder  and  devour  all  the  human  bodies  that 
fall  into  their  hands. 

With  these  considerations  I  walked  very  leisurely  forward.  I  found  that  side  of 
the  island  where  I  now  was  much  pleasanter  than  mine — the  open  or  savannah  fields 
sweet,  adorned  with  flowers  and  grass,  and  full  of  very  fine  woods.  I  saw  abundance 
of  parrots,  and  fain  would  I  have  caught  one,  if  possible,  to  have  kept  it  to  be  tame, 
and  taught  it  to  speak  to  me.  I  did,  after  some  painstaking,  catch  a  young  parrot,  for 
I  knocked  it  down  with  a  stick,  and  having  recovered  it,  I  brought  it  home ;  but  it 
was  some  years  before  I  could  make  him  speak ;  however,  at  last,  I  taught  him  to  call 
me  by  my  name  very  familiarly.  But  the  accident  that  followed,  though  it  be  a  trifle, 
will  be  very  diverting  in  its  place. 

I  was  exceedingly  diverted  with  this  journey.  I  found  in  the  low  grounds  hares 
(as  I  thought  them  to  be)  and  foxes  ;  but  they  differed  greatly  from  all  the  other  kinds 
I  had  met  with,  nor  could  I  satisfy  myself  to  eat  them,  though  I  killed  several.  But 
I  had  no  need  to  be  venturous,  for  I  had  no  want  of  food,  and  of  that  which  was  very 
good,  too,  especially  these  three  sorts,  viz.,  goats,  pigeons,  and  turtle,  or  tortoise,  which, 
added  to  my  grapes,  Leadenhall  Market  could  not  have  furnished  a  table  better  than  I, 
in  proportion  to  the  company  ;  and  though  my  case  was  deplorable  enough,  yet  I  had 
great  cause  for  thankfulness  that  I  was  not  driven  to  any  extremities  for  food,  but  had 
rather  plenty,  even  to  dainties. 

I  never  traveled  in  this  journey  above  two  miles  outright  in  a  day,  or  thereabouts  ; 
but  I  took  so  many  turns  and  returns  to  see  what  discoveries  I  could  make,  that  I 
came  weary  enough  to  the  place  where  I  resolved  to  sit  down  for  all  night ;  and  then 
I  either  reposed  myself  in  a  tree,  or  surrounded  myself  with  a  row  of  stakes  set  upright 
in  the  ground,  either  from  one  tree  to  another,  or  so  as  no  wild  creature  could  come 
at  me  without  waking  me.  As  soon  as  I  came  to  the  sea-shore  I  was  surprised  to  see 
that  I  had  taken  up  my  lot  on  the  worst  side  of  the  island,  for  here,  indeed,  the  shore 
was  covered  with  innumerable  turtles,  whereas,  on  the  other  side  I  had  found  but  three 
in  a  year  and  a  half.  Here  was  also  an  infinite  number  of  fowls  of  many  kinds,  some 
of  which  I  had  not  seen  before,  and  many  of  them  very  good  meat,  but  such  as  I  knew 
not  the  names  of,  except  those  called  penguins. 

I  could  have  shot  as  many  as  I  pleased,  but  was  very  sparing  of  my  powder  and 
shot,  and  therefore  had  more  mind  to  kill  a  she-goat,  if  I  could,  which  I  could  better 
feed  on ;  and  though  there  were  many  goats  here,  more  than  on  the  other  side  of  the 
island,  yet  it  was  with  much  more  difficulty  that  I  could  come  near  them,  the  country 
being  flat  and  even,  and  they  saw  me  much  sooner  than  when  I  was  on  the  hills. 

I  confess  this  side  of  the  country  was  much  pleasanter  than  mine ;  but  yet  I  had 
not  the  least  inclination  to  remove,  for  as  I  was  fixed  in  my  habitation  it  became 
natural  to  me,  and  I  seemed  all  the  while  I  was  here  to  be  as  it  were  upon  a  journey, 
and  from  home.  However,  I  traveled  along  the  shore  of  the  sea  towards  the  east,  I 
suppose  about  twelve  miles,  and  then  setting  up  a  great  pole  upon  the  shore  for  a 
mark,  I  concluded  I  would  go  home  again,  and  that  the  next  journey  I  took  should 
be  on  the  other  side  of  the  island  east  from  my  dwelling,  and  so  round  till  I 
came  to  my  post  again,  of  which  in  its  place. 


8o 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


I  took  another  way  to  come  back  than  that  I  went,  thinking  I  could  easily  keep 
all  the  island  so  much  in  my  view,  that  I  could  not  miss  finding  my  first  dwelling  by 
viewing  the  country  ;   but  I  found  myself  mistaken,  for,  being  come  about  two  or  three 

miles,  I  found  myself  descended 
into  a  very  large  valley,  but  so 
surrounded  with  hills,  and  those 
hills  covered  with  wood,  that  I 
could    not    see    which    was    my 
way  by  any   direction   but   that 
of  the  sun,  nor  even  then  unless 
I    knew  very   well  the  position 
of  the  sun  at  that  time  of  the 
day.     It  happened,  to  my  further 
misfortune,     that     the     weather 
proved   hazy   for  three   or  four 
days  while  I  was  in  this  valley, 
and  not  being  able   to  see  the 
sun,  I  wandered  about  very  un- 
comfortably,   and    at    last   was 
obliged  to  find  out  the  sea-side, 
look  for   my  post,  and   come  back    the 
same   way    I    went ;     and   then,   by   easy 
journeys,  I  turned  homeward,  the  weather 
being  exceeding  hot,  and  my  gun,  ammu- 
nition,   hatchet,    and    other   things,   very 
heavy. 

In  this  journey  my  dog  surprised  a 
young  kid,  and  seized  upon  it,  and  I 
running  in  to  take  hold  of  it.  caught  it, 
and  saved  it  alive  from  the  dog.  I  had 
a  great  mind  to  bring  it  home  if  I  could, 
for  I  had  often  been  musing  whether  it 
might  not  be  possible  to  get  a  kid  or  two, 
and  so  raise  a  breed  of  tame  goats,  which  might  supply  me  when  my  powder  and  shot 
should  be  spent.  I  made  a  collar  to  this  little  creature,  and  with  a  string,  which  I 
made  of  some  rope-yarn,  which  I  always  carried  about  me,  I  led  him  along,  though  with 
some  difficulty,  till  I  came  to  my  bower,  and  there  I  inclosed  him  and  left  him,  for 
I  was  very  impatient  to  be  at  home,  from  whence  I  had  been  absent  above  a  month. 
I  cannot  express  what  a  satisfaction  it  was  to  me  to  come  into  my  old  hutch,  and 
lie  down  in  my  hammock-bed.  This  little  wandering  journey,  without  settled  place  of 
abode,  had  been  so  unpleasant  to  me  that  my  own  house,  as  I  called  it  to  myself,  was 
a  perfect  settlement  to  me,  compared  to  that ;  and  it  rendered  everything  about  me  so 
comfortable,  that  I  resolved  I  would  never  go  a  great'way  from  it  again,  while  it 
should  be  my  lot  to  stay  on  the  island. 


AN  INFINITE  NUMBER  OF  FOWLS  "   {p.  79). 


The  Second  Anniversary.  8i 

I  reposed  myself  here  a  week,  to  rest  and  regale  myself  after  my  long  journey, 
during  which,  most  of  the  time  was  taken  up  in  the  weighty  affair  of  making  a  cage 
for  my  Poll,  who  began  now  to  be  a  mere  domestic,  and  to  be  mighty  well  acquainted 
with  me.  Then  I  began  to  think  of  the  poor  kid  which  I  had  pent  in  within  my  little 
circle,  and  resolved  to  go  and  fetch  it  home,  or  give  it  some  food  ;  accordingly  I  went, 
and  found  it  where  I  left  it,  for  indeed  it  could  not  get  out,  but  was  almost  starved  for 
want  of  food.  I  went  and  cut  boughs  of  trees,  and  branches  of  such  shrubs  as  I 
could  find,  and  threw  them  over,  and  having  fed  it,  I  tied  it  as  I  did  before,  to  lead  it 
away ;  but  it  was  so  tame  with  being  hungry  that  I  had  no  need  to  have  tied  it,  for 
it  followed  me  like  a  dog ;  and  as  I  continually  fed  it,  the  creature  became  so  loving, 
so  gentle,  and  so  fond,  that  it  became  from  that  time  one  of  my  domestics  also,  and 
would  never  leave  me  afterwards. 

The  rainy  season  of  the  autumnal  equinox  was  now  come,  and  I  kept  the  3.0th  of 
September  in  the  same  solemn  manner  as  before,  being  the  anniversary  of  my  landing 
on  the  island,  having  now  been  there  for  two  years,  and  no  more  prospect  of  being 
delivered  than  the  first  day  I  came  there.  I  spent  the  whole  day  in  humble  and 
thankful  acknowledgments  of  the  many  wonderful  mercies  which  my  solitary  condition 
was  attended  with,  and  without  which  it  might  have  been  infinitely  more  miserable. 
I  gave  humble  and  hearty  thanks  that  God  had  been  pleased  to  discover  to  me  that 
it  was  possible  I  might  be  more  happy  in  this  solitary  condition  than  I  should  have 
been  in  a  liberty  of  society,  and  in  all  the  pleasures  of  the  world  :  that  He  could  fully 
make  up  to  me  the  deficiencies  of  my  solitary  state,  and  the  want  of  human  society, 
by  His  presence,  and  the  communication  of  His  grace  to  my  soul ;  supporting, 
comforting,  and  encouraging  me  to  depend  upon  His  providence  here,  and  hope  for 
His  eternal  presence  hereafter. 

It  was  now  that  I  began  sensibly  to  feel  how  much  more  happy  the  life  I  now  led 
was,  with  all  its  miserable  circumstances,  than  the  wicked,  cursed,  abominable  life  I 
led  all  the  past  part  of  my  days ;  and  now  having  changed  both  my  sorrows  and  my 
joys,  my  very  desires  altered,  my  affections  changed  their  gusts,  and  my  delights  were 
perfectly  new  from  what  they  were  at  first  coming,  or,  indeed,  for  the  two  years  past. 

Before,  as  I  walked  about,  either  on  my  hunting,  or  for  viewing  the  country,  the 
anguish  of  my  soul  at  my  condition  would  break  out  upon  me  on  a  sudden,  and  my 
verv  heart  would  die  within  me,  to  think  of  the  woods,  the  mountains,  the  deserts  I 
was  in,  and  how  I  was  a  prisoner,  locked  up  with  the  eternal  bars  and  bolts  of  the 
ocean,  in  an  uninhabited  wilderness,  without  redemption.  In  the  midst  of  the  greatest 
composures  of  my  mind,  this  would  break  out  upon  me  like  a -storm,  and  make  me 
wring  my  hands,  and  weep  like  a  child  :  sometimes  it  would  take  me  in  the  middle  of 
my  work,  and  I  would  immediately  sit  down  and  sigh,  and  look  upon  the  ground  for 
an  hour  or  two  together ;  and  this  was  still  worse  to  me,  for  if  I  could  burst  out  into 
tears,  or  vent  myself  by  words,  it  would  go  off,  and  the  grief  having  exhausted  itself 
would  abate. 

But  now  I  began  to  exercise  myself  with  new  thoughts.  I  daily  read  the  Word  of 
God,  and  applied  all  the  comforts  of  it  to  my  present  state.  One  morning,  being  very 
sad,  I  opened  the  Bible  upon  these  words  :  "  I  will  never  leave  thee,  nor  forsake  thee." 


S2  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Immediately  it  occurred  that  these  words  were  to  me ;  why  else  should  they  be 
directed  in  such  a  manner,  just  at  the  moment  when  I  was  mourning  over  my  con- 
dition, as  one  forsaken  of  God  and  man?  "Well,  then,"  said  I,  "if  God  does  not 
forsake  me,  of  what  ill  consequence  can  it  be,  or  what  matters  it,  though  the  world 
should  all  forsake  me,  seeing,  on  the  other  hand,  if  I  had  all  the  world,  and  should 
lose  the  favor  and  blessing  of  God,  there  would  be  no  comparison  in  the  loss?  " 

From  this  moment  I  began  to  conclude  in  my  mind  that  it  was  possible  for  me  to 
be  more  happy  in  this  forsaken,  solitary  condition,  than  it  was  probable  I  should  ever 
have  been  in  any  other  particular  state  in  the  world ;  and  with  this  thought  I  was 
going  to  give  thanks  to  God  for  bringing  me  to  this  place.  I  know  not  what  it  was, 
but  something  shocked  my  mind  at  that  thought,  and  I  durst  not  speak  the  words. 
"  How  canst  thou  become  such  a  hypocrite,"  said  I,  even  audibly,  "  to  pretend  to  be 
thankful  for  a  condition  which,  however  thou  mayest  endeavor  to  be  contented  with, 
thou  wouldst  rather  pray  heartily  to  be  delivered  from?  "  So  I  stopped  there;  but 
though  I  could  not  say  I  thanked  God  for  being  there,  yet  I  sincerely  gave  thanks  to 
God  for  opening  my  eyes,  by  whatever  afflicting  providences,  to  see  the  former 
condition  of  my  life,  and  to  mourn  for  my  wickedness,  and  repent.  I  never  opened 
the  Bible,  or  shut  it,  but  my  very  soul  within  me  blessed  God  for  directing  my  friend 
in  England,  without  any  order  of  mine,  to  pack  it  up  among  my  goods,  and  for 
assisting  me  afterwards  to  save  it  out  of  the  wreck  of  the  ship. 

Thus,  and  in  this  disposition  of  mind,  I  began  my  third  year ;  and  though  I  have 
not  given  the  reader  the  trouble  of  so  particular  an  account  of  my  works  this  year  as 
the  first,  yet  in  general  it  may  be  observed  that  I  was  very  seldom  idle,  but  having 
regularly  divided  my  time  according  to  several  daily  employments  that  were  before 
me,  such  as,  first,  my  duty  to  God,  and  the  reading  the  Scriptures,  which  I  constantly 
set  apart  some  time  for,  thrice  every  day  ;  secondly,  the  going  abroad  with  my  gun  for 
food,  which  generally  took  up  three  hours  in  every  morning,  when  it  did  not  rain ; 
thirdly,  the  ordering,  curing,  preserving,  and  cooking  what  I  had  killed  or  caught  for 
my  supply :  these  took  up  great  part  of  the  day ;  also,  it  is  to  be  considered  that  in 
the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the  sun  was  in  the  zenith,  the  violence  of  the  heat  was  too 
great  to  stir  out ;  so  that  about  four  hours  in  the  evening  was  all  the  time  I  could  be 
supposed  to  work  in,  with  this  exception,  that  sometimes  I  changed  my  hours  of 
hunting  and  working,  and  went  to  work  in  the  morning,  and  abroad  with  my  gun  in 
the  afternoon. 

To  this  short  time  allowed  for  labor,  I  desire  may  be  added  the  exceeding 
laboriousness  of  my  work ;  the  many  hours  which,  for  want  of  tools,  want  of  help,  and 
want  of  skill,  everything  I  did  took  up  out  of  my  time :  for  example,  I  was  full  two- 
and-forty  days  in  making  a  board  for  a  long  shelf,  which  I  wanted  in  my  cave ; 
whereas  two  sawyers,  with  their  tools  and  a  saw-pit,  would  have  cut  six  of  them  out 
of  the  same  tree  in  half  a  day. 

My  case  was  this  :  it  was  to  be  a  large  tree  which  was  to  be  cut  down,  because  my 
board  was  to  be  a  broad  one.  This  tree  I  was  three  days  a-cutting  down,  and  two 
more  cutting  off  the  boughs,  and  reducing  it  to  a  log,  or  piece  of  timber.  With 
inexpressible  hacking  and  hewing,  I  reduced  both  the  sides  of  it  into  chips  till  it 


Marauders.  83 

began  to  be  light  enough  to  move ;  then  I  turned  it,  and  made  one  side  of  it  smooth 
and  flat  as  a  board  from  end  to  end ;  then  turning  that  side  downward,  cut  the  other 
side  till  I  brought  the  plank  to  be  about  three  inches  thick,  and  smooth  on  both  sides. 
Any  one  may  judge  the  labor  of  my  hands  in  such  a  piece  of  work ;  but  labor  and 
patience  carried  me  through  that,  and  many  other  things ;  I  only  observe  this  in 
particular,  to  show  the  reason  why  so  much  of  my  time  went  away  with  so  little  work, 
viz.,  that  what  might  be  a  little  to  be  done  with  help  and  tools,  was  a  vast  labor  and 
required  a  prodigious  time  to  do  alone,  and  by  hand.  But  notwithstanding  this,  with 
patience  and  labor,  I  went  through  many  things,  and  indeed  "everything  that  my 
circumstances  made  necessary  to  me  to  do,  as  will  appear  by  what  follows. 

I  was  now  in  the  months  of  November  and  December,  expecting  my  crop  of  barley 
and  rice.  The  ground  I  had  manured  or  dug  up  for  them  was  not  great ;  for,  as  I 
observed,  my  seed  of  each  was  not  above  the  quantity  of  half  a  peck,  for  I  had  lost 
one  whole  crop  by  sowing  in  the  dry  season :  but  now  my  crop  promised  very  well, 
when  on  a  sudden  I  found  I  was  in  danger  of  losing  it  all  again  by  enemies  of  several 
sorts,  which  it  was  scarcely  possible  to  keep  from  it ;  as,  first,  the  goats,  and  wild 
creatures  which  I  called  hares,  which,  tasting  the  sweetness  of  the  blade,  lay  in  it  night 
and  day,  as  soon  as  it  came  up,  and  ate  it  so  close  that  it  could  get  no  time  to  shoot 
up  into  stalk. 

This  I  saw  no  remedy  for  but  by  making  an  inclosure  about  it  with  a  hedge,  which 
I  did  with  a  great  deal  of  toil,  and  the  more  because  it  required  a  great  deal  of  speed  ; 
the  creatures  daily  spoiling  my  corn.  However,  as  my  arable  land  was  but  small, 
suited  to  my  crop,  I  got  it  totally  well  fenced  in  about  three  weeks'  time  ;  and  shooting 
some  of  the  creatures  in  the  day-time,  I  set  my  dog  to  guard  it  in  the  night,  tying  him 
up  to  a  stake  at  the  gate,  where  he  would  stand  and  bark  all  night  long ;  so  in  a  little 
time  the  enemies  forsook  the  place,  and  the  corn  grew  very  strong  and  well,  and 
began  to  ripen  apace. 

But  as  the  beasts  ruined  me  before,  while  my  corn  was  in  the  blade,  so  the  birds 
were  as  likely  to  ruin  me  now,  when  it  was  in  the  ear ;  for  going  along  by  the  place 
to  see  how  it  throve,  I  saw  my  little  crop  surrounded  with  fowls,  of  I  know  not  how 
many  sorts,  who  stood,  as  it  were,  watching  till  I  should  be  gone.  I  immediately  let 
fly  among  them,  for  I  always  had  my  gun  with  me.  I  had  no  sooner  shot  but  there 
rose  up  a  little  cloud  of  fowls,  which  I  had  not  seen  at  all,  from  among  the  corn  itself. 

This  touched  me  sensibly,  for  I  foresaw  that  in  a  few  days  they  would  devour  all 
my  hopes  ;  that  I  should  be  starved,  and  never  be  able  to  raise  a  crop  at  all ;  and  what 
to  do  I  could  not  tell ;  however,  I  resolved  not  to  lose  my  corn,  if  possible,  though  I 
should  watch  it  night  and  day.  In  the  first  place,  I  went  among  it,  to  see  what 
damage  was  already  done,  and  found  they  had  spoiled  a  good  deal  of  it ;  but  that  as  it 
was  yet  too  green  for  them,  the  loss  was  not  so  great  but  the  remainder  was  likely  to 
be  a  good  crop,  if  it  could  be  saved. 

I  stayed  by  it  to  load  my  gun,  and  then  coming  away,  I  could  easily  see  the  thieves 
sitting  upon  all  the  trees  about  me,  as  if  they  only  waited  till  I  was  gone  away,  and  the 
event  proved  it  to  be  so  ;  for  as  I  walked  off,  as  if  I  was  gone,  I  was  no  sooner  out  of 
their  sight  but  they  dropped  down  one  by  one  into  the  corn  again.     I  was  so  provoked 


84 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


that  I  could  not  have  patience  to  stay  till  more  came  on,  knowing  that  every  grain  that 
they  ate  now  was,  as  it  might  be  said,  a  peck-load  to  me  in  the  consequence ;  but 
coming  up  to  the  hedge,  I  fired  again,  and  killed  three  of  them.     This  was  what  I 

wished  for; 
s  o  I  t  o  o  k 
them  up,  and 
served  them 
as  we  serve 
notorious 
thieves  in 
England, 
viz.,  hanged 
them  in 
chains,  for  a 
terror  to 
others.  It  is 
impossible 
to  imagine 
almost  that  this  should  have  had 
such  an  effect  as  it  had,  for  the 
fowls  would  not  only  not  come  at 
the  corn,  but,  in  short,  they  forsook 
all  that  part  of  the  island,  and  I  could 
never  see  a  bird  near  the  place  as  long  as 
my  scarecrows  hung-there.  This  I  was  very 
glad  of,  you  may  be  sure,  and  about  the 
latter  end  of  December,  which  was  our  second  harvest 
of  the  year,  I  reaped  my  corn. 

I  was  sadly  put  to  it  for  a  scythe  or  sickle  to  cut 
it  down,  and  all  I  could  do  was  to  make  one,  as  well 
as  I  could,  out  of  one  of  the  broad-swords,  or  cutlasses, 
which  I  saved  among  the  arms  out  of  the  ship.  How- 
ever, as  my  crop  was  but  small,  I  had  no  great  diffi- 
culty to  cut  it  down  ;  in  short,  I  reaped  it  in  my  way, 
for  I  cut  nothing  off  but  the  ears,  and  carried  it  away 
in  a  great  basket  which  I  had  made,  and  so  rubbed 
it  out  with  my  hands ;  and  at  the  end  of  all  my 
harvesting,  I  found  that  out  of  my  half-peck  of  seed 
I  had  near  two  bushels  of  rice,  and  above  two  bushels  and  a  half  of  barley ;  that  is 
to  say,  by  my  guess,  for  I  had  no  measure  at  that  time. 

However,  this  was  a  great  encouragement  to  me,  and  I  foresaw  that  in  time  it 
would  please  God  to  supply  me  with  bread  :  and  yet  here  I  was  perplexed  again,  for  I 
neither  knew  how  to  grind  or  make  meal  of  my  corn,  or  indeed  how  to  clean  it  and 
part  it ;  nor,  if  made  into  meal,  how  to  make  bread  of  it ;  and  if  how  to  make  it,  yet  I 


I    FIRED    AGAIN. 


Farming  Operations. 


85 


knew  not  how  to  bake  it.  These  things  being  added  to  my  desire  of  having  a  good 
quantity  for  store,  and  to  secure  a  constant  supply,  I  resolved  not  to  taste  any  of  this 
crop,  but  to  preserve  it  all  for  seed  against  the  next  season ;  and,  in  the  meantime,  to 
employ  all  my  study  and  hours  of  working  to  accomplish  this  great  work  of  providing 
myself  with  corn  and  bread. 

It  might  be  truly  said  that  now  I  worked  for  my  bread.  It  is  a  little  wonderful, 
and  what  I  believe  few  people  have  thought  much  upon,  viz.,  the  strange  multitude  of 
little  things  necessary  in  the  providing,  producing,  curing,  dressing,  making,  and 
finishing  this  one  article  of  bread. 

I,  that  was  reduced  to  a  mere  state  of  nature,  found  this  to  my  daily  discourage- 
ment, and  was  made  more  and  more  sensible  of  it 
every  hour,  even  after  I  had  got  the  first  handful 
of  seed-corn,  which,  as  I  have  said,  came  up  un- 
expectedly, and  indeed  to  a  surprise. 

First,  I  had  no  plough  to  turn  up  the  earth ;  no 
spade  or  shovel  to  dig  it.  Well,  this  I  conquered 
by  making  me  a  wooden  spade,  as  I  observed  be- 
fore, but  this  did  my  work  but  in  a  wooden  manner ; 
and  though  it  cost  me  a  great  many  days  to  make 
it,  yet  for  want  of  iron  it  not  only  wore  out  the 
sooner,  but  made  my  work  the  harder,  and  made 
it  be  performed  much  worse.  However,  this  I 
bore  with  too,  and  was  content  to  work  it  out  with 
patience,  and  bear  with  the  badness  of  the  per- 
formance. When  the  corn  was  sown,  I  had  no 
harrow,  but  was  forced  to  go  over  it  myself,  and  drag 
a  great  heavy  bough  of  a  tree  over  it,  to  scratch 
it,  as  it  may  be  called,  rather  than  rake  or  harrow 
it.  When  it  was  growing,  or  grown,  I  have  observed 
already  how  many  things  I  wanted  to  fence  it, 
secure  it,  mow  or  reap  it,  cure  and  carry  it  home, 
thrash,  part  it  from  the  chaff,  and  save  it.  Then  I 
wanted  a  mill  to  grind  it,  sieves  to  dress  it,  yeast 

and  salt  to  make  it  into  bread,  and  an  oven  to  bake  it  in ;  and  all  these  things 
I  did  without,  as  shall  be  observed  ;  and  yet  the  corn  was  an  inestimable  comfort 
and  advantage  to  me  too.  But  this,  as  I  said,  made  everything  laborious  and 
tedious  to  me ;  but  that  there  was  no  help  for ;  neither  was  my  time  so  much  loss  to 
me,  because,  as  I  had  divided  it,  a  certain  part  of  it  was  every  day  appointed  to  these 
works ;  and  as  I  had  resolved  to  use  none  of  the  corn  for  bread  till  I  had  a  greater 
quantity  by  me,  I  had  the  next  six  months  to  apply  myself  wholly,  by  labor  and 
invention,  to  furnish  myself  with  utensils  proper  for  the  performing  all  the  operations 
necessary  for  making  the  corn,  when  I  had  it,  fit  for  my  use. 

But  first  I  was  to  prepare  more  land,  for  I  had  now  seed  enough  to  sow  above  an 
acre  of  ground,     Before  I  did  this,  I  had  a  week's  work  at  least  to  make  me  a  spade, 


I    HANGED    THEM    IN    CHAINS  ' 
{p.   84). 


86  Robinson  Crusoe. 

which,  when  it  was  done,  was  but  a  sorry  one  indeed,  and  very  heavy,  and  required 
double  labor  to  work  with  it.  However,  I  went  through  that,  and  sowed  my  seed  in 
two  large  flat  pieces  of  ground,  as  near  my  house  as  I  could  find  them  to  my  mind,  and 
fenced  them  in  with  a  good  hedge,  the  stakes  of  which  were  all  cut  of  that  wood 
which  I  had  set  before,  which  I  knew  would  grow  ;  so  that  in  one  year's  time  I  knew  I 
should  have  a  quick  or  living  hedge  that  would  want  but  little  repair.  This  work  was 
not  so  little  as  to  take  me  up  less  than  three  months,  because  great  part  of  that  time 
was  of  the  wet  season,  when  I  could  not  go  abroad.  Within-door — that  is,  when  it 
rained  and  I  could  not  go  out — I  found  employment  in  the  following  occupations, 
always  observing  that  all  the  while  I  was  at  work  I  diverted  myself  with  talking  to  my 
parrot,  and  teaching  him  to  speak ;  and  I  quickly  learnt  him  to  know  his  own  name, 
and  at  last  to  speak  it  out  pretty  loud — "  Poll,"  which  was  the  first  word  I  ever  heard 
spoken  in  the  island  by  any  mouth  but  my  own.  This,  therefore,  was  not  my  work, 
but  an  assistant  to  my  work ;  for  now,  as  I  said,  I  had  a  great  employment  upon  my 
hands,  as  follows — viz.,  I  had  long  studied,  by  some  means  or  other,  to  make  myself 
some  earthen  vessels,  which,  indeed,  I  wanted  sorely,  but  knew  not  where  to  come  at 
them.  However,  considering  the  heat  of  the  climate,  I  did  not  doubt  but  if  I  could 
find  out  any  clay,  I  might  botch  up  some  such  pot  as  might,  being  dried  by  the  sun, 
be  hard  enough  and  strong  enough  to  bear  handling,  and  to  hold  anything  that  was 
dry  and  required  to  be  kept  so  ;  and  as  this  was  necessary  in  preparing  corn,  meal, 
etc.,  which  was  the  thing  I  was  upon,  I  resolved  to  make  some  as  large  as  I  could, 
and  fit  only  to  stand  like  jars  to  hold  what  should  be  put  into  them. 

It  would  make  the  reader  pity  me,  or  rather  laugh  at  me,  to  tell  how  many 
awkward  ways  I  took  to  raise  this  paste ;  what  odd,  misshapen,  ugly  things  I  made ; 
how  many  of  them  fell  in,  and  how  many  fell  out — the  clay  not  being  stiff  enough  to 
bear  its  own  weight ;  how  many  cracked  by  the  over- violent  heat  of  the  sun,  being 
set  out  too  hastily ;  and  how  many  fell  to  pieces  with  only  removing,  as  well  before 
as  after  they  were  dried ;  and,  in  a  word,  how,  after  having  labored  hard  to  find 
the  clay — to  dig  it,  to  temper  it,  to  bring  it  home,  and  work  it — I  could  not  make 
above  two  large  earthen  ugly  things  (I  cannot  call  them  jars)  in  about  two  months' 
labor. 

However,  as  the  sun  baked  these  two  very  dry  and  hard,  I  lifted  them  very  gently 
up  and  set  them  down  again  in  two  great  wicker  baskets,  which  I  had  made  on 
purpose  for  them,  that  they  might  not  break ;  and  as  between  the  pot  and  the 
basket  there  was  a  little  room  to  spare,  I  stuffed  it  full  of  the  rice  and  barley 
straw ;  and  these  two  pots  being  to  stand  always  dry,  I  thought  would  hold  my 
dry  corn,  and  perhaps  the  meal,  when  the  corn  was  bruised. 

Though  I  miscarried  so  much  in  my  design  for  large  pots,  yet  I  made  several 
smaller  things  with  better  success,  such  as  little  round  pots,  flat  dishes,  pitchers, 
and  pipkins,  and  anything  my  hand  turned  to,  and  the  heat  of  the  sun  baked 
them  strangely  hard. 

But  all  this  would  not  answer  my  end,  which  was  to  get  an  earthen  pot  to 
hold  what  was  liquid  and  bear  the  fire,  which  none  of  these  could  do.  It 
happened  after  some  time,  making  a  pretty  large  fire  for  cooking  my  meat,  when 


/  Make  some  Earthenware.  87 

I  went  to  put  it  out  after  I  had  done  with  it,  I  found  a  broken  piece  of  one 
of  my  earthenware  vessels  in  the  fire,  burnt  as  hard  as  a  stone,  and  red  as  a 
tile.  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  see  it,  and  said  to  myself  that  certainly  they 
might  be  made  to  burn  whole  if  they  would  burn  broken. 

This  set  me  to  study  how  to  order  my  fire  so  as  to  make  it  burn  me  some 
pots.  I  had  no  notion  of  a  kiln  such  as  the  potters  burn  in,  or  of  glazing  them 
with  lead, '  though  I  had  some  lead  to  do  it  with ;  but  I  placed  three  large  pip- 
kins and  two  or  three  pots  in  a  pile,  one  upon  another,  and  placed  my  firewood 
all  round  it,  with  a  great  heap  of  embers  under  them.  I  plied  the  fire  with 
fresh  fuel  round  the  outside  and  upon  the  top  till  I  saw  the  pots  in  the  inside 
red-hot  quite  through,  and  observed  that  they  did  not  crack  at  all.  When  I  saw 
them  clear  red,  I  let  them  stand  in  that  heat  about  five  or  six  hours,  till  I 
found  one  of  them,  though  it  did  not  crack,  did  melt  or  run ;  for  the  sand 
which  was  mixed  with  the  clay  melted  by  the  violence  of  the  heat,  and  would 
have  run  into  glass  if  I  had  gone  on ;  so  I  slacked  my  fire  gradually  till  the 
pots  began  to  abate  of  the  red  color,  and  watching  them  all  night,  that  I  might 
not  let  the  fire  abate  too  fast,  in  the  morning  I  had  three  very  good  (I  will  not 
say  handsome)  pipkins  and  two  other  earthen  pots  as  hard  burnt  as  could  be 
desired,  and  one  of  them  perfectly  glazed  with  the  running  of  the  sand. 

After  this  experiment,  I  need  not  say  that  I  wanted  no  sort  of  earthenware 
for  my  use ;  but  I  must  needs  say,  as  to  the  shapes  of  them,  they  were  very 
indifferent,  as  any  one  may"  suppose,  when  I  had  no  way  of  making  them  but 
as  the  children  make  dirt  pies,  or  as  a  woman  would  make  pies  that  never 
learned  to  raise  paste. 

No  joy  at  a  thing  of  so  mean  a  nature  was  ever  equal  to  mine  when  I 
found  I  had  made  an  earthen  pot  that  would  bear  the  fire,  and  I  had  hardly 
patience  to  stay  till  they  were  cold  before  I  set  one  on  the  fire  again,  with  some 
water  in  it,  to  boil  me  some  meat,  which  it  did  admirably  well ;  and  with  a 
piece  of  a  kid  I  made  some  very  good  broth,  though  I  wanted  oatmeal  and 
several  other  ingredients  requisite  to  make  it  as  good  as  I  would  have  had  it. 

My  next  concern  was  to  get  me  a  stone  mortar  to  stamp  or  beat  some  corn 
in ;  for  as  to  the  mill,  there  was  no  thought  of  arriving  to  that  perfection  of  art 
with  one  pair  of  hands.  To  supply  this  want  I  was  at  a,  great  loss,  for,  of  all 
the  trades  in  the  world,  I  was  as  perfectly  unqualified  for  a  stone-cutter  as  for 
any  whatever,  neither  had  I  any  tools  to  go  about  it  with.  I  spent  many  a  day 
to  find  out  a  great  stone  big  enough  to  cut  hollow  and  make  fit  for  a  mortar, 
and  could  find  none  at  all,  except  what  was  in  the  solid  rock,  and  which  I  had 
no  way  to  dig  or  cut  out ;  nor,  indeed,  were  the  rocks  in  the  island  of  hardness 
sufficient,  but  were  all  of  a  sandy,  crumbling  stone,  which  would  neither  bear 
the  weight  of  a  heavy  pestle,  nor  would  break  the  corn  without  filling  it  with 
sand.  So,  after  a  great  deal  of  time  lost  in  searching  for  a  stone,  I  gave  it 
over,  and  resolved  to  look  out  a  great  block  of  hard  wood,  which  I  found, 
indeed,  much  easier;  and  getting  one  as  big  as  I  had  strength  to  stir,  I  rounded 
it  and  formed    it    on    the  outside  with  my  axe  and  hatchet,  and  then,  with  the 


88  Robinson  Crusoe. 

help  of  fire  and  infinite  labor,  made  a  hollow  place  in  it,  as  the  Indians  in 
Brazil  make  their  canoes.  After  this  I  made  a  great  heavy  pestle,  or  beater,  of 
the  wood  called  the  ironwood ;  and  this  I  prepared  and  laid  by  against  I  had 
my  next  crop  of  corn,  which  I  proposed  to  myself  to  grind,  or  rather  pound 
my  corn  or  meal  to  make  my  bread. 

My  next  difficulty  was  to  make  a  sieve,  or  sierce,  to  dress  my  meal,  and  to  part  it 
from  the  bran  and  husk ;  without  which  I  did  not  see  it  possible  I  could  have  any 
bread.  This  was  a  most  difficult  thing,  so  much  as  but  to  think  on ;  for  to  be  sure  I 
had  nothing  like  the  necessary  things  to  make  it  with — I  mean  fine  thin  canvas,  or 
stuff  to  sierce  the  meal  through.  And  here  I  was  at  a  full  stop  for  many  months,  nor 
did  I  really  know  what  to  do.  Linen  I  had  none  left  but  what  was  mere  rags.  I  had 
goats'-hair,  but  neither  knew  I  how  to  weave  or  spin  it ;  and  had  I  known  how,  here 
were  no  tools  to  work  it  with.  All  the  remedy  that  I  found  for  this  was,  that  at  last 
I  did  remember  I  had,  among  the  seamen's  clothes  which  were  saved  out  of  the  ship, 
some  neckcloths  of  calico  or  muslin ;  and  with  some  pieces  of  these  I  made  three 
small  sieves,  but  proper  enough  for  the  work ;  and  thus  I  made  shift  for  some  years. 
How  I  did  afterwards  I  shall  show  in  its  place. 

The  baking  part  was  the  next  thing  to  be  considered,  and  how  I  should  make 
bread  when  I  came  to  have  corn  ;  for,  first,  I  had  no  yeast.  As  to  that  part,  as  there 
was  no  supplying  the  want,  so  I  did  not  concern  myself  much  about  it.  But  for  an 
oven  I  was  indeed  in  great  pain.  At  length  I  found  out  an  experiment  for  that  also, 
which  was  this  :  I  made  some  earthen  vessels  very  broad,  but  not  deep — that  is  to  say, 
about  two  feet  diameter,  and  not  above  nine  inches  deep  ;  these  I  burned  in  the  fire 
as  I  had  done  the  other,  and  laid  them  by ;  and  when  I  wanted  to  bake,  I  made  a 
great  fire  upon  the  hearth,  which  I  had  paved  with  some  square  tiles,  of  my  own 
making  and  burning  also.     But  I  should  not  call  them  square. 

When  the  firewood  was  burned  pretty  much  into  embers,  or  live  coals,  I  drew 
them  forward  upon  this  hearth,  so  as  to  cover  it  all  over,  and  there  I  let  them  lie  till 
the  hearth  was  very  hot ;  then,  sweeping  away  all  the  embers,  I  set  down  my  loaf  or 
loaves,  and  whelming  down  the  earthen  pot  upon  them,  drew  the  embers  all  round 
the  outside  of  the  pot  to  keep  in  and  add  to  the  heat ;  and  thus,  as  well  as  in  the  best 
oven  in  the  world,  I  baked  my  barley-loaves,  and  became,  in  little  time,  a  good  pastry- 
cook into  the  bargain ;  for  I  made  myself  several  cakes  and  puddings  of  the  rice. 
Indeed,  I  made  no  pies,  neither  had  I  anything  to  put  into  them,  supposing  I  had, 
except  the  flesh  either  of  fowls  or  goats. 

It  need  not  be  wondered  at  if  all  these  things  took  me  up  most  part  of  the  third 
year  of  my  abode  here  ;  for  it  is  to  be  observed  that,  in  the  intervals  of  these  things,  I 
had  my  new  harvest  and  husbandry  to  manage  ;  for  I  reaped  my  corn  in  its  season, 
and  earned  it  home  as  well  as  I  could,  and  laid  it  up  in  the  ear  in  my  large  baskets 
till  I  had  time  to  rub  it  out,  for  I  had  no  floor  to  thrash  it  on,  or  instrument  to 
thrash  it  with. 

And  now,  indeed,  my  stock  of  corn  increasing,  I  really  wanted  to  build  my  barns 
bigger.  I  wanted  a  place  to  lay  it  up  in,  for  the  increase  of  the  corn  now  yielded  me 
so  much  that  I  had  of  the  barley  about  twenty  bushels,  and  of  the  rice  as  much,  or 


Hopes  of  Escape.  89 

more ;  insomuch  that  I  now  resolved  to  begin  to  use  it  freely,  for  my  bread  had  been 
quite  gone  a  great  while ;  also  I  resolved  to  see  what  quantity  would  be  sufficient  for 
me  a  whole  year,  and  to  sow  but  once  a  year. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  found  that  the  forty  bushels  of  barley  and  rice  were  much  more 
than  I  could  consume  in  a  year ;  so  I  resolved  to  sow  just  the  same  quantity  every 
year  that  I  sowed  the  last,  in  hopes  that  such  a  quantity  would  fully  provide  me  with 
bread,  etc. 


"what  odd,  misshapen,   loly  THINGS  I  made"  (/>.  86). 

All  the  while  these  things  were  doing,  you  may  be  sure  my  thoughts  ran  many 
times  upon  the  prospect  of  land  which  I  had  seen  from  the  other  side  of  the  island ; 
and  I  was  not  without  secret  wishes  that  I  was  on  shore  there,  fancying  that,  seeing 
the  mainland  and  an  inhabited  country,  I  might  find  some  way  or  other  to  convey 
myself  farther,  and  perhaps  at  last  find  some  means  of  escape. 

But  all  this  while  I  made  no  allowance  for  the  dangers  of  such  a  condition,  and 
how  I  might  fall  into  the  hands  of  savages,  and  perhaps  such  as  I  might  have  reason  to 
think  far  worse  than  the  lions  and  tigers  of  Africa  ;  that  if  I  once  came  into  their  power, 
I  should  run  a  hazard  more  than  a  thousand  to  one  of  being  killed,  and  perhaps  of 
being  eaten  ;  for  I  had  heard  that  the  people  of  the  Caribbean  coasts  were  cannibals, 
or  men-eaters,  and  I  knew  by  the  latitude  that  I  could  not  be  far  off  from  that  shore ; 
that  suppose  they  were  not  cannibals,  yet  they  might  kill  me,  as  many  Europeans  who 
had  fallen  into  their  hands  had  been  served,  even  when  they  had  been  ten  or  twenty 
together — much  more  I,  that  was  but  one,  and  could  make  little  or  no  defense.  All 
these  things,  I  say,  which  I  ought  to  have  considered  well  of,  and  I  did  cast  up  in  my 
thoughts  afterwards,  yet  took  up  none  of  my  apprehensions  at  first,  and  my  head  ran 
mightily  upon  the  thought  of  getting  over  to  that  shore. 

Now,  I  wished  for  my  boy  Xury,  and  the  long  boat  with  the  shoulder-of-mutton 
sail,  with  which  I  sailed  above  a  thousand  miles  on  the  coast  of  Africa  ;   but  this  was  in 


90  Robinson  Crusoe. 

vain.  Then  I  thought  I  would  go  and  look  at  our  ship's  boat,  which,  as  I  have  said, 
was  blown  up  upon  the  shore  a  great  way  in  the  storm  when  we  were  first  cast  away. 
She  lay  almost  where  she  did  at  first,  but  not  quite,  and  was  turned,  by  the  force  of 
the  waves  and  the  winds,  almost  bottom  upward  against  the  high  ridge  of  beachy, 
rough  sand,  but  no  water  about  her  as  before.  If  I  had  had  hands  to  have  refitted 
her,  and  to  have  launched  her  into  the  water,  the  boat  would  have  done  well  enough, 
and  I  might  have  gone  back  into  the  Brazils  with  her  easily  enough  ;  but  I  might  have 
easily  foreseen  that  I  could  no  more  turn  her  and  set  her  upright  upon  her  bottom 
than  I  could  remove  the  island.  However,  I  went  to  the  wood  and  cut  levers  and 
rollers,  and  brought  them  to  the  boat ;  resolved  to  try  what  I  could  do,  suggesting  to 
myself  that  if  I  could  but  turn  her  down,  I  might  easily  repair  the  damage  she  had 
received,  and  she  would  be  a  very  good  boat,  and  I  might  go  to  sea  in  her  very  easily. 

I  spared  no  pains,  indeed,  in  this  piece  of  fruitless  toil,  and  spent,  I  think,  three  or 
four  weeks  about  it.  At  last,  finding  it  impossible  to  heave  it  up  with  my  little 
strength,  I  fell  to  digging  away  the  sand,  to  undermine  it,  and  so  to  make  it  fall  down, 
setting  pieces  of  wood  to  thrust  and  guide  it  right  in  the  fall. 

But  when  I  had  done  this,  I  was  unable  to  stir  it  up  again,  or  to  get  under  it,  much 
less  to  move  it  forward  towards  the  water ;  so  I  was  forced  to  give  it  over ;  and  yet, 
though  I  gave  over  the  hopes  of  the  boat,  my  desire  to  venture  over  for  the  main  in- 
creased, rather  than  decreased,  as  the  means  for  it  seemed  impossible. 

This  at  length  set  me  upon  thinking  whether  it  was  not  possible  to  make  myself  a 
canoe,  or  periagua,  such  as  the  natives  of  those  climates  make,  even  without  tools,  or, 
as  I  might  say,  without  hands — viz.,  of  the  trunk  of  a  great  tree.  This  I  not  only 
thought  possible,  but  easy,  and  pleased  myself  extremely  with  my  thoughts  of  making 
it,  and  with  my  having  much  more  convenience  for  it  than  any  of  the  Negroes  or 
Indians ;  but  not  at  all  considering  the  particular  inconveniences  which  I  lay  under 
more  than  the  Indians  did — viz.,  want  of  hands  to  move  it  into  the  water  when  it  was 
made,  a  difficulty  much  harder  for  me  to  surmount  than  all  the  consequences  of  want 
of  tools  could  be  to  them.  For  what  was  it  to  me  that  when  I  had  chosen  a  vast  tree 
in  the  wood,  I  might  with  great  trouble  cut  it  down,  if  after  I  might  be  able  with  my 
tools  to  hew  and  dub  the  outside  into  the  proper  shape  of  a  boat,  and  burn  or  cut  out 
the  inside  to  make  it  hollow,  so  as  to  make  a  boat  of  it — if,  after  all  this,  I  must  leave 
it  just  there  where  I  found  it,  and  was  not  able  to  launch  it  into  the  water? 

One  would  have  thought  I  could  not  have  had  the  least  reflection  upon  my 
mind  of  my  circumstances  while  I  was  making  this  boat,  but  I  should  have  im- 
mediately thought  how  I  should  get  it  into  the  sea ;  but  my  thoughts  were  so  intent 
upon  my  voyage  over  the  sea  in  it,  that  I  never  once  considered  how  I  should  get  it 
off  the  land ;  and  it  was  really,  in  its  own  nature,  more  easy  for  me  to  guide  it  over 
forty-five  miles  of  sea,  than  about  forty-five  fathoms  of  land,  where  it  lay,  to  set  it  afloat 
in  the  water. 

I  went  to  work  upon  this  boat  the  most  like  a  fool  that  ever  man  did,  who  had  any 
of  his  senses  awake.  I  pleased  myself  with  the  design,  without  determining  whether  I 
was  ever  able  to  undertake  it ;  not  but  that  the  difficulty  of  launching  my  boat  came 
often  into  my  head ;  but  I  put  a  stop  to  my  inquiries  into  it,  by  this  foolish  answer 


/  Make  a  Canoe.  91 

which  I  gave  myself :  "  Let  me  first  make  it ;  I  warrant  I  shall  find  some  way  or  other 
to  get  it  along  when  it  is  done." 

This  was  a  most  preposterous  method ;  but  the  eagerness  of  my  fancy  prevailed, 
and  to  work  I  went  and  felled  a  cedar-tree.  I  question  much  whether  Solomon  ever 
had  such  a  one  for  the  building  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  ;  it  was  five  feet  ten  inches 
diameter  at  the  lower  part  next  the  stump,  and  four  feet  eleven  inches  diameter  at 
the  end  of  twenty-two  feet ;  after  which  it  lessened  for  awhile,  and  then  parted  into 
branches.  It  was  not  without  infinite  labor  that  I  felled  this  tree.  I  was  twenty 
days  hacking  and  hewing  at  it  at  the  bottom  ;  I  was  fourteen  more  getting  the  branches 
and  limbs  and  the  vast  spreading  head  of  it  cut  off,  which  I  hacked  and  hewed  through 
with  my  axe  and  hatchet,  and  inexpressible  labor ;  after  this  it  cost  me  a  month  to 
shape  it  and  dub  it  to  a  proportion,  and  to  something  like  the  bottom  of  a  boat,  that  it 
might  swim  upright  as  it  ought  to  do.  It  cost  me  near  three  months  more  to  clear  the 
inside,  and  work  it  out  so  as  to  make  an  exact  boat  of  it ;  this  I  did,  indeed,  without 
fire,  by  mere  mallet  and  chisel,  and  by  the  dint  of  hard  labor,  till  I  had  brought  it  to 
be  a  very  handsome  periagua,  and  big  enough  to  have  carried  six-and-twenty  men,  and 
consequently  big  enough  to  have  carried  me  and  all  my  cargo. 

When  I  had  gone  through  this  work,  I  was  extremely  delighted  with  it.  The 
boat  was  really  much  bigger  than  ever  I  saw  a  canoe  or  periagua,  that  was  made 
of  one  tree,  in  my  life.  Many  a  weary  stroke  it  had  cost,  you  may  be  sure — for 
there  remained  nothing  but  to  get  it  into  the  water ;  and  had  I  gotten  it  into  the 
water,  I  make  no  question  but  I  should  have  begun  the  maddest  voyage,  and  the 
most  unlikely  to  be  performed  that  ever  was  undertaken. 

But  all  my  devices  to  get  it  into  the  water  failed  me ;  though  they  cost  infinite 
labor  too.  It  lay  about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  water,  and  not  more ;  but 
the  first  inconvenience,  was,  it  was  up-hill  towards  the  creek.  Well,  to  take  away 
this  discouragement,  I  resolved  to  dig  into  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  so  make 
a  declivity.  This  I  began,  and  it  cost  me  a  prodigious  deal  of  pains  (but  who 
grudge  pains  that  have  their  deliverance  in  view?) ;  but  when  this  was  worked 
through,  and  this  difficulty  managed,  it  was  still  much  at  one,  for  I  could  no  more 
stir  the  canoe  than  I  could  the  other  boat.  Then  I  measured  the  distance  of 
ground,  and  resolved  to  cut  a  dock  or  canal,  to  bring  the  water  up  to  the  canoe, 
seeing  I  could  not  bring  the  canoe  down  to  the  water.  Well,  I  began  this  work ; 
and  when  I  began  to  enter  into  it  and  calculate  how  deep  it  was  to  be  dug, 
how  broad,  how  the  stuff  was  to  be  thrown  out,  I  found  that,  by  the  number  of 
hands  I  had,  being  none  but  my  own,  it  must  have  been  ten  or  twelve  years 
before  I  could  have  gone  through  with  it ;  for  the  shore  lay  so  high  that  at  the 
upper  end  it  must  have  been  at  least  twenty  feet  deep ;  so  at  length,  though  with 
great  reluctancy,  I  gave  this  attempt  over  also. 

This  grieved  me  heartily ;  and  now  I  saw,  though  too  late,  the  folly  of  begin- 
ning a  work  before  we  count  the  cost,  and  before  we  judge  rightly  of  our  own 
strength  to  go  through  with  it. 

In  the  middle  of  this  work  I  finished  my  fourth  year  in  this  place,  and  kept 
my  anniversary  with  the  same  devotion,  and  with  as  much  comfort  as  ever  before ; 


92  Robinson  Crusoe. 

for,  by  a  constant  study  and  serious  application  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  by  the 
assistance  of  His  grace,  I  gained  a  different  knowledge  from  what  I  had  before. 
I  entertained  different  notions  of  things.  I  looked  now  upon  the  world  as  a  thing 
remote,  which  I  had  nothing  to  do  with,  no  expectation  from,  and,  indeed,, no 
desires  about ;  in  a  word,  I  had  nothing  indeed  to  do  with  it,  nor  was  ever  likely 
to  have.  So  I  thought  it  looked,  as  we  may  perhaps  look  upon  it  hereafter,  viz., 
as  a  place  I  had  lived  in,  but  was  come  out  of  it ;  and  well  might  I  say,  as 
Father  Abraham  to  Dives,  "  Between  me  and  thee  is  a  great  gulf  fixed." 

In  the  first  place,  I  was  removed  from  all  the  wickedness  of  the  world  here ;  I 
had  neither  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the  lust  of  the  eye,  nor  the  pride  of  life.  I  had 
nothing  to  covet,  for  I  had  all  I  was  now  capable  of  enjoying ;  I  was  lord  of  the 
whole  manor ;  or,  if  I  pleased,  I  might  call  myself  king  or  emperor  over  the  whole 
country  which  I  had  possession  of.  There  were  no  rivals ;  I  had  no  competitor, 
none  to  dispute  sovereignty  or  command  with  me.  I  might  have  raised  ship- 
loadings  of  corn,  but  I  had  no  use  for  it;  so  I  let  as  little  grow  as  I  thought 
enough  for  my  occasion.  I  had  tortoises  or  turtles  enough,  but  now  and  then  one 
was  as  much  as  I  could  put  to  any  use.  I  had  timber  enough  to  have  built  a 
fleet  of  ships ;  and  I  had  grapes  enough  to  have  made  wine,  or  to  have  cured  into 
raisins,  to  have  loaded  that  fleet  when  it  had  been  built. 

But  all  I  could  make  use  of  was  all  that  was  valuable ;  I  had  enough  to  eat 
and  to  supply  my  wants,  and  what  was  all  the  rest  to  me?  If  I  killed  more  flesh 
than  I  could  eat,  the  dog  must  eat  it,  or  the  vermin ;  if  I  sowed  more  corn  than 
I  could  eat,  it  must  be  spoiled ;  the  trees  that  I  cut  down  were  lying  to  rot  on 
the  ground ;  I  could  make  no  more  use  of  them  than  for  fuel,  and  that  I  had  no 
occasion  for  but  to  dress  my  food. 

In  a  word,  the  nature  and  experience  of  things  dictated  to  me,  upon  just  re- 
flection, that  all  the  good  things  of  this  world  are  no  further  good  to  us  than  they 
are  for  our  use  ;  and  that,  whatever  we  may  heap  up  indeed  to  give  others,  we 
enjoy  as  much  as  we  can  use,  and  no  more.  The  most  covetous,  griping  miser 
in  the  world  Avould  have  been  cured  of  the  vice  of  covetousness,  if  he  had  been  in 
my  case ;  for  I  possessed  infinitely  more  than  I  knew  what  to  do  with.  I  had  no 
room  for  desire,  except  it  was  of  things  which  I  had  not,  and  they  were  but  trifles, 
though,  indeed,  of  great  use  to  me.  I  had,  as  I  hinted  before,  a  parcel  of  money, 
as  well  gold  as  silver,  about  thirty-six  pounds  sterling.  Alas!  there  the  nasty, 
sorry,  useless  stuff  lay !  I  had  no  manner  of  business  for  it ;  and  I  often  thought 
with  myself  that  I  would  have  given  a  handful  of  it  for  a  gross  of  tobacco-pipes ; 
or  for  a  hand-mill  to  grind  my  corn ;  nay,  I  would  have  given  it  all  for  sixpenny- 
worth  of  turnip  and  carrot  seed  out  of  England,  or  for  a  handful  of  peas  and 
beans,  and  a  bottle  of  ink.  As  it  was,  I  had  not  the  least  advantage  by  it,  or 
benefit  from  it ;  but  there  it  lay  in  a  drawer,  and  grew  moldy  with  the  damp  of 
the  cave  in  the  wet  seasons ;  and  if  I  had  had  the  drawer  full  of  diamonds, 
it  had  been  the  same  case,  they  had  been  of  no  manner  of  value  to  me,  because 
of  no  use. 

I  had  now  brought  my  state  of  life  to  be  much  easier  in  itself  than  it  was  at 


Tha  nkfulness. 


93 


first,  and  rruch  easier 
to  my  mind,  as  well  as 
to  my  body.  I  fre- 
quently sat  down  to  -j 
meat  with  thankful- 
ness, and  admired  the 
hand  of  God's  provi- 
dence, which  had  thus  I 
spread  my  table  in  the 
wilderness.  I  learned 
to  look  more  upon  the 
bright  side  of  my  con- 
dition, and  less  upon 
the  dark  side,  and  to  ^ 

consider  what    I    en- 
joyed     rather      than 
what  I  wanted  ;   and  this  gave 
me     sometimes     such     secret 
comforts,   that    I   cannot  ex- 
press   them ;     and    which    I 
take    notice  of  here,   to   put 
those  discontented  people  in 
mind  of  it,   who  cannot  en- 
joy comfortably  what  God  has 
given  them,  because  they  see 
and  covet  something  that  He  has 
not  given  them.     All  our  discon- 
tents about  what  we  want  appeared 
to  me  to  spring  from  the  want  of 
thankfulness  for  what  we  have. 

Another  reflection  was  of  great 
use  to  me,  and  doubtless  would 
be  so  to  any  one  that  should  fall 
into  such  distress  as  mine  was ; 
and  this  was  to  compare  my 
present  condition  with  what  I  at 
first  expected  it  would  be ;  nay, 
with  what  it  would  certainly  have 
been,  if  the  good  providence  of 
God  had  not  wonderfully  ordered 
the  ship  to  be  cast  up  nearer  to 

the  shore,  where  I  not  only  could  come  at  her,  but  could  bring  what  I  got  out  of 
her  to  the  shore,  for  my  relief  and  comfort ;  without  which,  I  had  wanted  for  tools 
to  work,  weapons  for  defense,  and  gunpowder  and  shot  for  getting  my  food. 


I    RESOLVED    TO    DIG    INTO    THE    SURFACE    OF 
THE    EARTH  "    {p.  91). 


94  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  spent  whole  hours,  I  may  say  whole  days,  in  representing  to  myself,  in  the 
most  lively  colors,  how  I  must  have  acted  if  I  had  got  nothing  out  of  the  ship. 
How  I  could  not  have  so  much  as  got  any  food,  except  fish  and  turtles ;  and 
that,  as  it  was  long  before  I  found  any  of  them,  I  must  have  perished  first ;  that 
I  should  have  lived,  if  I  had  not  perished,  like  a  mere  savage ;  that  if  I  had 
killed  a  goat  or  a  fowl,  by  any  contrivance,  I  had  no  way  to  flay  or  open  it,  or 
part  the  flesh  from  the  skin  and  the  bowels,  or  to  cut  it  up  ;  but  must  gnaw  it 
with  my  teeth,  and  pull  it  with  my  claws,  like  a  beast. 

These  reflections  made  me  very  sensible  of  the  goodness  of  Providence  to  me, 
and  very  thankful  for  my  present  condition,  with  all  its  hardships  and  misfortunes ; 
and  this  part  also  I  cannot  but  recommend  to  the  reflection  of  those  who  are  apt, 
in  their  misery,  to  say,  "Is  any  affliction  like  mine?"  Let  them  consider  how 
much  worse  the  cases  of  some  people  are,  and  their  case  might  have  been,  if 
Providence  had  thought  fit. 

I  had  another  reflection,  which  assisted  me  also  to  comfort  my  mind  with 
hopes ;  and  this  was  comparing  my  present  situation  with  what  I  had  deserved, 
and  had  therefore  reason  to  expect  from  the  hand  of  Providence.  I  had  lived  a 
dreadful  life,  perfectly  destitute  of  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  God.  I  had  been 
well  instructed  by  father  and  mother ;  neither  had  they  been  wanting  to  me  in 
their  early  endeavors  to  infuse  a  religious  awe  of  God  into  my  mind,  a  sense  of 
my  duty,  and  what  the  nature  and  end  of  my  being  required  of  me.  But,  alas! 
falling  early  into  the  sea-faring  life,  which,  of  all  lives,  is  the  most  destitute  of  the 
fear  of  God,  though  His  terrors  are  always  before  them — I  say,  falling  early  into 
the  sea-faring  life,  and  into  sea-faring  company,  all  that  little  sense  of  religion  which 
I  had  entertained  was  laughed  out  of  me  by  my  messmates ;  by  a  hardened 
despising  of  clangers,  and  the  views  of  death,  which  grew  habitual  to  me ;  by  my 
long  absence  from  all  manner  of  opportunities  to  converse  with  anything  but  what 
was  like  myself,  or  to  hear  anything  of  what  was  good  or  tended  towards  it. 

So  void  was  I  of  everything  that  was  good,  or  of  the  least  sense  of  what  I 
was,  or  was  to  be,  that,  in  the  greatest  deliverances  I  enjoyed — such  as  my  escape 
from  Sallee  ;  my  being  taken  up  by  the  Portuguese  master  of  the  ship ;  my  being 
planted  so  well  in  the  Brazils  ;  my  receiving  the  cargo  from  England,  and  the  like 
— I  never  once  had  the  words,  "Thank  God!"  so  much  as  on  my  mind,  or  in 
my  mouth ;  nor  in  the  greatest  distress  had  I  so  much  thoughts  as  to  pray  to 
Him,  or  so  much  as  to  say,  "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me ! "  no,  not  to  mention 
the  name  of  God,  unless  it  was  to  swear  by,  and  blaspheme  it. 

I  had  terrible  reflections  upon  my  mind  for  many  months,  as  I  have  already 
observed,  on  the  account  of  my  wicked  and  hardened  life  past ;  and  when  I 
looked  about  me,  and  considered  what  particular  providences  had  attended  me 
since  my  coming  into  this  place,  and  how  God  had  dealt  bountifully  with  me — 
had  not  only  punished  me  less  than  my  iniquity  had  deserved,  but  had  so 
plentifully  provided  for  me — this  gave  me  great  hopes  that  my  repentance  was 
accepted,  and  that  God  had  yet  mercies  in  store  for  me. 

With  these  reflections,  I  worked  my  mind  up,  not  only  to  resignation  to  the 


Resigned  to  my  Fate.  95 

will  of  God  in  the  present  disposition  of  my  circumstances,  but  even  to  a  sincere 
thankfulness  for  my  condition ;  and  that  I,  who  was  yet  a  living  man,  ought  not 
to  complain,  seeing  I  had  not  the  due  punishment  of  my  sins.  That  I  enjoyed 
so  many  mercies  which  I  had  no  reason  to  have  expected  in  that  place.  That 
I  ought  nevermore  to  repine  at  my  condition,  but  to  rejoice,  and  to  give  daily 
thanks  for  that  daily  bread,  which  nothing  but  a  crowd  of  wonders  could  have 
brought.  That  I  ought  to  consider  I  had  been  fed  even  by  a  miracle,  even  as 
great  as  that  of  feeding  Elijah  by  ravens — nay,  by  a  long  series  of  miracles.  And 
that  I  could  hardly  have  named  a  place  in  the  uninhabited  part  of  the  world 
where  I  could  have  been  cast  more  to  my  advantage ;  a  place  where,  as  I  had 
no  society,  which  was  my  affliction  on  one  hand,  so  I  found  no  ravenous  beasts,  no 
furious  wolves  or  tigers,  to  threaten  my  life  ;  no  venomous  creatures  or  poisonous, 
which  I  might  have  fed  on  to  my  hurt ;  no  savages  to  murder  and  devour  me. 
In  a  word,  as  my  life  was  a  life  of  sorrow  one  way,  so  it  was  a  life  of  mercy 
another ;  and  I  wanted  nothing  to  make  it  a  life  of  comfort  but  to  be  able  to 
make  my  sense  of  God's  goodness  to  me,  and  care  over  me  in  this  condition, 
be  my  daily  consolation ;  and  after  I  made  a  just  improvement  of  these  things, 
I  went  away,  and  was  no  more  sad.  I  had  now  been  here  so  long,  that  many 
things  which  I  brought  on  shore  for  my  help  were  either  quite  gone,  or  very 
much  wasted  and  near  spent. 

My  ink,  as  I  observed,  had  been  gone  some  time,  all  but  a  very  little,  which 
I  eked  out  with  water,  a  little  and  a  little,  till  it  was  so  pale,  it  scarce  left  any 
appearance  of  black  upon  the  paper.  As  long  as  it  lasted,  I  made  use  of  it  to 
minute  down  the  days  of  the  month  on  which  any  remarkable  thing  happened  to 
me ;  and  first,  by  casting  up  times  past,  I  remembered  that  there  was  a  strange 
concurrence  of  days  in  the  various  providences  which  befell  me,  and  which,  if  I 
had  been  superstitiously  inclined  to  observe  days  as  fatal  or  fortunate,  I  might 
have  had  reason  to  have  looked  upon  with  a  great  deal  of  curiosity. 

First,  I  had .  observed  that  the  same  day  that  I  broke  away  from  my  father 
and  my  friends,  and  ran  away  to  Hull,  in  order  to  go  to  sea,  the  same  day  after- 
wards I  was  taken  by  the  Sallee  man-of-war,  and  made  a  slave  ;  the  same  day 
of  the  year  that  I  escaped  out  of  the  wreck  of  that  ship  in  Yarmouth  Roads, 
that  same  day  of  the  year  afterwards  I  made  my  escape  from  Sallee  in  a  boat ; 
the  same  day  of  the  year  I  was  born  on — viz.,  the  20th  of  September — the  same 
day  I  had  my  life  so  miraculously  saved  twenty-six  years  after,  when  I  was  cast 
on  shore  in  this  island ;    so  that  my  wicked  life  and  solitary  life  began  both  on  a  day. 

The  next  thing  to  my  ink  being  wasted,  was  that  of  my  bread — I  mean  the 
biscuit  which  I  brought  out  of  the  ship.  This  I  had  husbanded  to  the  last 
degree,  allowing  myself  but  one  cake  of  bread  a  day  for  above  a  year ;  and  yet 
I  was  quite  without  bread  for  a  year  before  I  got  any  corn  of  my  own ;  and 
great  reason  I  had  to  be  thankful  that  I  had  any  at  all,  the  getting  it  being,  as 
has  been  already  observed,  next  to  miraculous. 

My  clothes,  too,  began  to  decay  mightily ;  as  to  linen,  I  had  had  none  a 
good   while,   except   some  checkered   shirts  which    I   found    in   the   chests  of  the 


96  Robinson  Crusoe. 

other  seamen,  and  which  I  carefully  preserved ;  because  many  times  I  could  bear 
no  other  clothes  on  but  a  shirt ;  and  it  was  a  very  great  help  to  me  that  I  had, 
among  all  the  men's  clothes  of  the  ship,  almost  three  dozen  of  shirts.  There 
were  also  several  thick  watch-coats  of  the  seamen's  which  were  left  behind,  but 
they  were  too  hot  to  wear ;  and  though  it  is  true  that  the  weather  was  so  vio- 
lently hot  that  there  was  no  need  of  clothes,  yet  I  could  not  go  quite  naked — 
no,  though  I  had  been  inclined  to  it,  which  I  was  not ;  nor  could  I  abide  the 
thoughts  of  it,  though  I  was  all  alone.  One  reason  why  I  could  not  go  naked 
was,  I  could  not  bear  the  heat  of  the  sun  so  well  when  quite  naked  as  with 
some  clothes  on ;  nay,  the  very  heat  frequently  blistered  my  skin ;  whereas,  with 
a  shirt  on,  the  air  itself  made  some  motion,  and,  whistling  under  the  shirt,  was 
twofold  cooler  than  without  it.  No  more  could  I  ever  bring  myself  to  go  out 
in  the  heat  of  the  sun  without  a  cap  or  a  hat ;  the  heat  of  the  sun,  beating  with 
such  violence  as  it  does  in  that  place,  would  give  me  the  headache  presently,  by 
darting  so  directly  on  my  head,  without  a  hat  or  cap  on,  so  that  I  could  not 
bear  it ;   whereas,  if  I  put  on  my  hat,  it  would  presently  go  away. 

Upon  these  views,  I  began  to  consider  about  putting  the  few  rags  I  had, 
which  I  called  clothes,  into  some  order.  I  had  worn  out  all  the  waistcoats  I 
had,  and  my  business  was  now  to  try  if  I  could  not  make  jackets  out  of  the 
great  watch-coats  which  I  had  by  me,  and  with  such  other  materials  as  I  had; 
so  I  set  to  work  tailoring,  or  rather  indeed,  botching,  for  I  made  most  piteous 
work  of  it.  However,  I  made  shift  to  make  two  or  three  waistcoats,  which  I 
hoped  would  serve  me  a  great  while ;  as  for  breeches  or  drawers,  I  made  but  a 
very  sorry  shift  indeed  till  afterwards. 

I  have  mentioned  that  I  saved  the  skins  of  all  the  creatures  that  I  killed — I  mean 
four-footed  ones — and  I  had  them  hung  up,  stretched  out  with  sticks  in  the  sun,  by 
which  means  some  of  them  were  so  dry  and  hard  that  they  were  fit  for  little ;  but 
others,  it  seems,  were  very  useful.  The  first  thing  I  made  of  these  was  a  great  cap  for 
my  head,  with  the  hair  on  the  outside,  to  shoot  off  the  rain ;  and  this  I  performed  so 
well  that,  after,  I  made  me  a  suit  of  clothes  wholly  of  those  skins — that  is  to  say,  a 
waistcoat,  and  breeches  open  at  the  knees,  and  both  loose ;  for  they  were  rather 
wanting  to  keep  me  cool  than  to  keep  me  warm.  I  must  not  omit  to  acknowledge 
that  they  were  wretchedly  made  ;  for  if  I  was  a  bad  carpenter,  I  was  a  worse 
tailor.  However,  they  were  such  as  I  made  a  very  good  shift  with,  and  when  I 
was  abroad,  if  it  happened  to  rain,  the  hair  of  the  waistcoat  and  cap  being 
outermost,  I  was  kept  very  dry. 

After  this,  I  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  and  pains  to  make  an  umbrella.  I 
was  indeed  in  great  want  of  one,  and  had  a  great  mind  to  make  one.  I  had 
seen  them  made  in  the  Brazils,  where  they  are  very  useful  in  the  great  heats 
which  are  there,  and  I  felt  the  heats  every  jot  as  great  here,  and  greater  too, 
being  nearer  the  equinox ;  besides,  as  I  was  obliged  to  be  much  abroad,  it  was 
a  most  useful  thing  to  me,  as  well  for  the  rains  as  the  heats.  I  took  a  world 
of  pains  at  it,  and  was  a  great  while  before  I  could  make  anything  likely  to 
hold ;    nay,  after  I  thought  I  had  hit  the  way,   I  spoiled  two  or  three   before  I 


My  Suit  of  Clothes. 


97 


made  one  to  my  mind.  But  at  last  I  made  one  that  answered  indifferently  well ; 
the  main  difficulty  I  found  was  to  make  it  to  let  down.  I  could  make  it  spread, 
but  if  it  did  not  let  down  too,  and  draw  in,  it  would  not  be  portable  for  me  any 
way  but  just  over  my  head,  which  would  not  do.  However,  at  last,  as  I  said,  I 
made  one  to  answer.  I  covered  it  with  skins,  the  hair  upwards,  so  that  it  cast 
off  the  rain  like  a  pent-house,  and  kept  off  the  sun  so  effectually  that  I  could  walk 
out  in  the  hottest  of  the 
weather  with  greater  advan- 
tage than  I  could  before  in 
the  coolest,  and  when  I  had 
no  need  of  it,  I  could  close 
it,  and  carry  it  under  my 
arm. 

Thus  I  lived  mighty  com- 
fortably, my  mind  being  en- 
tirely composed  by  resigning 
to  the  will  of  God,  and  throw- 
ing myself  wholly  upon  the 
disposal  of  His  providence. 
This  made  my  life  better  than 
sociable,  for  when  I  began 
to  regret  the  want  of  con- 
versation, I  would  ask  my- 
self, whether  thus  conversing 
mutually  with  my  own 
thoughts,  and  (as  I  hope  I 
may  say)  with  even  my  Maker, 
by  ejaculations  and  petitions, 
was  not  better  than  the  ut- 
most enjoyment  of  human 
society  in  the  world? 

I  cannot  say  that,  after  this,  for  five  years,  any  extraordinary  thing  happened 
to  me,  but  I  lived  on  in  the  same  course,  in  the  same  posture  and  place,  just 
as  before.  The  chief  thing  I  was  employed  in,  besides  my  yearly  labor  of  plant- 
ing my  barley  and  rice  and  curing  my  raisins — of  both  which  I  always  kept  up 
just  enough  to  have  sufficient  stock  of  the  year's  provisions  beforehand — I  say, 
besides  this  yearly  labor  and  my  daily  labor  of  going  out  with  my  gun,  I  had 
one  labor,  to  make  me  a  canoe,  which  at  last  I  finished ;  so  that,  by  digging  a 
canal  to  it  of  six  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  I  brought  it  into  the  creek,  almost 
half  a  mile.  As  for  the  first,  which  was  so  vastly  big,  as  I  made  it  without  con- 
sidering beforehand,  as  I  ought  to  do,  how  I  should  be  able  to  launch  it,  so,  never 
being  able  to  bring  it  into  the  water,  or  bring  the  water  to  it,  I  was  obliged  to 
let  it  lie  where  it  was,  as  a  memorandum  to  teach  me  to  be  wiser  the  next  time. 
Indeed,  the  next  time,  though    I    could  not  get  a  tree  proper  for  it,  and  was  in 


I    MADE    ME    A    bUlT    OF   CLOTHES"    (/.   96). 


98  Robinson  Crusoe. 

a  place  where  I  could  not  get  the  water  to  it  at  any  less  distance  than,  as  I  have 
said,  of  near  half  a  mile,  yet,  as  I  saw  it  was  practicable  at  last,  I  never  gave  it 
over ;  and  though  I  was  near  two  years  about  it,  yet  I  never  grudged  my  labor, 
in  hopes  of  having  a  boat  to  go  off  to  sea  at  last. 

However,  though  my  little  periagua  was  finished,  yet  the  size  of  it  was  not  at 
all  answerable  to  the  design  which  I  had  in  view  when  I  made  the  first — I  mean 
of  venturing  over  to  the  terra  firma,  where  it  was  above  forty  miles  broad.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  smallness  of  my  boat  assisted  to  put  an  end  to  that  design,  and 
now  I  thought  no  more  of  it.  As  I  had  a  boat,  my  next  design  was  to  make  a 
tour  round  the  island ;  for  as  I  had  been  on  the  other  side  in  one  place,  cross- 
ing, as  I  have  already  described  it,  over  the  land,  so  the  discoveries  I  made  in 
that  journey  made  me  very  eager  to  see  other  parts  of  the  coast ;  and  now  I  had 
a  boat,  I  thought  of  nothing  but  sailing  round  the  island. 

For  this  purpose,  and  that  I  might  do  everything  with  discretion  and  considera- 
tion, I  fitted  up  a  little  mast  in  my  boat,  and  made  a  sail  to  it  out  of  some  of 
the  pieces  of  the  ship's  sails  which  lay  in  store,  and  of  which  I  had  a  great  store 
by  me.  Having  fitted  my  mast  and  sail,  and  tried  the  boat,  I  found  she  would 
sail  very  well ;  then  I  made  little  lockers,  or  boxes,  at  each  end  of  my  boat,  to 
put  provisions,  necessaries,  ammunition,  etc.,  into,  to  be  kept  dry,  either  from  rain 
or  the  spray  of  the  sea ;  and  a  little,  long,  hollow  place  I  cut  in  the  inside  of  the 
boat,  where  I  could  lay  my  gun,  making  a  flap  to  hang  down  over  it,  to  keep 
it  dry. 

I  fixed  my  umbrella-  also  in  a  step  at  the  stern,  like  a  mast,  to  stand  over  my 
head,  and  keep  the  heat  of  the  sun  off  of  me,  like  an  awning.  And  thus  I  every 
now  and  then  took  a  little  voyage  upon  the  sea  ;  but  never  went  far  out,  nor  far 
from  the  little  creek.  At  last,  being  eager  to  view  the  circumference  of  my  little 
kingdom,  I  resolved  upon  my  tour ;  and  accordingly  I  victualed  my  ship  for  the 
voyage,  putting  in  two  dozen  of  loaves  (cakes  I  should  rather  call  them)  of  barley- 
bread,  an  earthen  pot  full  of  parched  rice  (a  food  I  ate  a  great  deal  of),  a  little 
bottle  of  rum,  half  a  goat,  and  powder  with  shot  for  killing  more,  and  two  large 
watch-coats  (of  those  which,  as  I  mentioned  before,  I  had  saved  out  of  the  seamen's 
chests).     These  I  took,  one  to  lie  upon  and  the  other  to  cover  me  in  the  night. 

It  was  the  6th  of  November,  in  the  sixth  year  of  my  reign,  or  my  captivity, 
which  you  please,  that  I  set  out  on  this  voyage,  and  I  found  it  much  longer  than 
I  expected ;  for  though  the  island  itself  was  not  very  large,  yet  when  I  came  to 
the  east  side  of  it,  I  found  a  great  ledge  of  rocks  lie  out  about  two  leagues  into 
the  sea — some  above  water,  some  under  it ;  and  beyond  that  a  shoal  of  sand,  lying 
dry  half  a  league  more,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  go  a  great  way  out  to  sea  to 
double  that  point. 

When  I  first  discovered  them,  I  was  going  to  give  over  my  enterprise,  and 
come  back  again,  not  knowing  how  far  it  might  oblige  me  to  go  out  to  sea,  and, 
above  all,  doubting  how  I  should  get  back  again ;  so  I  came  to  an  anchor ;  for  I 
had  made  a  kind  of  an  anchor  with  a  piece  of  a  broken  grappling  which  I  got  out 
of  the  ship. 


I  Venture  Out  in  my  Boat.  99 

Having  secured  my  boat,  I  took  my  gun  and  went  on  shore,  climbing  up  a 
hill  which  seemed  to  overlook  that  point,  where  I  saw  the  full  extent  of  it,  and 
resolved  to  venture. 

In  my  viewing  the  sea  from  that  hill  where  I  stood,  I  perceived  a  strong  and, 
indeed,  a  most  furious  current,  which  ran  to  the  east,  and  even  came  close  to  the 
point ;  and  I  took  the  more  notice  of  it  because  I  saw  there  might  be  some  danger, 
that  when  I  came  into  it,  I  might  be  carried  out  to  sea  by  the  strength  of  it,  and 
not  be  able  to  make  the  island  again.  And,  indeed,  had  I  not  got  first  upon  this 
hill,  I  believe  it  would  have  been  so,  for  there  was  the  same  current  on  the  other 
side  of  the  island,  only  that  it  set  off  at  a  farther  distance,  and  I  saw  there  was 
a  strong  eddy  under  the  shore ;  so  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  get  out  of  the  first 
current,  and  I  should  presently  be  in  an  eddy. 

I  lay  here,  however,  two  days,  because  the  wind,  blowing  pretty  fresh  at  E.S.E., 
and  that  being  just  contrary  to  the  current,  made  a  great  breach  of  the  sea  upon 
the  point ;  so  that  it  was  not  safe  for  me  to  keep  too  close  to  the  shore  for  the 
breach,  nor  to  go  too  far  off,  because  of  the  stream. 

The  third  day,  in  the  morning,  the  wind  having  abated  overnight,  the  sea  was 
calm,  and  I  ventured.  But  I  am  a  warning-piece  to  all  rash  and  ignorant  pilots, 
for  no  sooner  was  I  come  to  the  point,  when  I  was  not,  even  my  boat's  length 
from  the  shore,  but  I  found  myself  in  a  great  depth  of  water,  and  a  current  like 
the  sluice  of  a  mill.  It  carried  my  boat  along  with  it  with  such  violence  that  all 
I  could  do  could  not  keep  her  so  much  as  on  the  edge  of  it ;  but  I  found  it 
hurried  me  farther  and  -farther  out  from  the  eddy,  which  was  on  my  left  hand. 
There  was  no  wind  stirring  to  help  me,  and  all  that  I  could  do  with  my  paddles 
signified  nothing.  And  now  I  began  to  give  myself  over  for  lost,  for  as  the 
current  was  on  both  sides  of  the  island,  I  knew  in  a  few  leagues'  distance  they 
must  join  again,  and  then  I  was  irrecoverably  gone ;  nor  did  I  see  any  possibility 
of  avoiding  it ;  so  that  I  had  no  prospect  before  me  but  of  perishing,  not  by 
the  sea,  for  that  was  calm  enough,  but  of  starving  from  hunger.  I  had,  indeed, 
found  a  tortoise  on  the  shore,  as  big  almost  as  I  could  lift,  and  had  tossed  it 
into  the  boat;  and  I  had  a  great  jar  of  fresh  water — that  is  to  say,  one  of  my 
earthen  pots ;  but  what  was  all  this  to  being  driven  into  the  vast  ocean,  where, 
to  be  sure,  there  was  no  shore,  no  mainland  or  island,  for  a  thousand  leagues 
at  least? 

And  now  I  saw  how  easy  it  was  for  the  providence  of  God  to  make  the 
most  miserable  condition  that  mankind  could  be  in  worse.  Now  I  looked  back 
upon  my  desolate,  solitary  island  as  the  most  pleasant  place  in  the  world,  and 
all  the  happiness  my  heart  could  wish  for  was  to  be  there  again.  I  stretched 
out  my  hands  to  it  with  eager  wishes.  "  O  happy  desert  ! "  said  I,  "  I  shall  never 
see  thee  more.  O  miserable  creature!  whither  am  I  going?"  Then  I  reproached 
myself  with  my  unthankful  temper,  and  how  I  had  repined  at  my  solitary  con- 
dition ;  and  now  what  would  I  give  to  be  on  shore  there  again !  Thus,  we  never 
see  the  true  state  of  our  condition  till  it  is  illustrated  to  us  by  its  contraries,  nor 
know  how  to  value  what  we  enjoy,  but  by  the  want  of  it.     It  is  scarcely  possible 


lOO 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


to  imagine  the  consternation  I  was  now  in,  being  driven  from  my  beloved  island 
(for  so  it  appeared  to  me  now  to  be)  into  the  wide  ocean,  almost  two  leagues, 
and  in  the  utmost  despair  of  ever  recovering  it  again.  However,  I  worked  hard, 
till,  indeed,  my  strength  was  almost  exhausted,  and  kept  my  boat  as  much  to 
the  northward — that  is,  towards  the  side  of  the  current  which  the  eddy  lay  on — as 


"l   BROUGHT    IT    INTO    THE    CREEK"    (/.  97). 


possibly  I  could ;  when  about  noon,  as  the  sun  passed  the  meridian,  I  thought 
I  felt  a  little  breeze  of  wind  in  my  face,  springing  up  from  the  S.S.E.  This 
cheered  my  heart  a  little,  and  especially  when,  in  about  half  an  hour  more,  it  blew 
a  pretty  small,  gentle  gale.  By  this  time  I  had  got  at  a  frightful  distance  from  the 
island ;  and  had  the  least  cloudy  or  hazy  weather  intervened,  I  had  been  undone 
another  way,  too  ;  for  I  had  no  compass  on  board,  and  should  never  have  known 
how  to  have  steered  towards  the  island,  if  I  had  but  once  lost  sight  of  it.  But  the 
weather  continuing  clear,  I  applied  myself  to  get  up  my  mast  again,  and  spread  my 
sail,  standing  away  to  the  north  as  much  as  possible,  to  get  out  of  the  current. 


My  Happy  Deliverance.  ioi 

Just  as  I  had  set  up  my  mast  and  sail,  and  the  boat  began  to  stretch  away, 
I  saw  even  by  the  clearness  of  the  water  some  alteration  of  the  current  was  near ; 
for  where  the  current  was  so  strong,  the  water  was  foul ;  but  perceiving  the  water 
clear,  I  found  the  current  abate ;  and  presently  I  found  to  the  east,  at  about 
half  a  mile,  a  breach  of  the  sea  upon  some  rocks.  These  rocks,  I  found,  caused 
the  current  to  part  again,  and  as  the  main  stress  of  it  ran  away  more  southerly, 
leaving  the  rocks  to  the  north-east,  so  the  other  returned  by  the  repulse  of  the 
rock,  and  made  a  strong  eddy,  which  ran  back  again  to  the  north-west,  with  a 
very  sharp  stream. 

They  who  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  reprieve  brought  to  them  upon  the  ladder, 
or  to  be  rescued  from  thieves  just  going  to  murder  them,  or  who  have  been  in 
such  extremities,  may  guess  what  my  present  surprise  of  joy  was,  and  how  gladly 
I  put  my  boat  into  the  stream  of  this  eddy ;  and  the  wind  also  freshening,  how 
gladly  I  spread  my  sail  to  it,  running  cheerfully  before  the  wind,  and  with  a 
strong  tide  or  eddy  under  foot. 

This  eddy  carried  me  about  a  league  in  my  way  back  again,  directly  towards 
the  island,  but  about  two  leagues  more  towards  the  northward  than  the  current  lay 
which  carried  me  away  at  first ;  so  that  when  I  came  near  the  island,  I  found  my- 
self open  to  the  northern  shore  of  it — that  is  to  say,  the  other  end  of  the  island, 
opposite  to  that  which  I  went  out  from. 

When  I  had  made  something  more  than  a  league  of  way  by  help  of  this  current 
or  eddy,  I  found  it  was  spent,  and  saved  me  no  farther.  However,  I  found  that 
being  between  two  great 'currents — viz.,  that  on  the  south  side,  which  had  hurried 
me  away,  and  that  on  the  north,  which  lay  about  two  leagues  on  the  other  side — 
I  say,  between  these  two,  in  the  wake  of  the  island,  I  found  the  water  at  least 
still,  and  running  no  way ;  and  having  still  a  breeze  of  wind  fair  for  me,  I  kept 
on  steering  directly  for  the  island,  though  not  making  such  fresh  way  as  I  did 
before. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening,  being  then  within  about  a  league  of  the 
island,  I  found  the  point  of  the  rocks  which  occasioned  this  disaster  stretching  out, 
as  is  described  before,  to  the  southward,  and  casting  off  the  current  more  southerly, 
had,  of  course,  made  another  eddy  to  the  north ;  and  this  I  found  very  strong,  but 
not  directly  setting  the  way  my  course  lay,  which  was  due  west,  but  almost  full  north. 
However,  having  a  fresh  gale,  I  stretched  across  this  eddy,  slanting  north-west ; 
and  in  about  an  hour  came  within  about  a  mile  of  the  shore,  where,  it  being 
smooth  water,  I  soon  got  to  land.  . 

When  I  was  on  shore,  I  fell  on  my  knees,  and  gave  God  thanks  for  my  de- 
liverance, resolving  to  lay  aside  all  thoughts  of  my  deliverance  by  my  boat ;  and 
refreshing  myself  with  such  things  as  I  had,  I  brought  my  boat  close  to  the  shore, 
in  a  little  cove  that  I  had  spied  under  some  trees,  and  laid  me  down  to  sleep, 
being  quite  spent  with  the  labor  and  fatigue  of  the  voyage. 

I  was  now  at  a  great  loss  which  way  to  get  home  with  my  boat!  I  had  run 
so  much  hazard,  and  knew  too  much  of  the  case,  to  think  of  attempting  it  by 
the  way  I  went  out ;   and  what  might  be  at  the  other  side  (I  mean  the  west  side) 


102  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  knew  not,  nor  had  I  any  mind  to  run  any  more  ventures.  So  I  resolved  on 
the  next  morning  to  make  my  way  westward  along  the  shore,  and  to  see  if  there 
was  no  creek  where  I  might  lay  up  my  frigate  in  safety,  so  as  to  have  her  again, 
if  I  wanted  her.  In  about  three  miles  or  thereabouts,  coasting  the  shore,  I  came 
to  a  very  good  inlet,  or  bay,  about  a  mile  over,  which  narrowed  till  it  came  to 
a  very  little  rivulet  or  brook,  where  I  found  a  very  convenient  harbor  for  my 
boat,  and  where  she  lay  as  if  she  had  been  in  a  little  dock  made  on  purpose  for 
her.  Here  I  put  in,  and  having  stowed  my  boat  very  safe,  I  went  on  shore  to  look 
about  me,  and  see  where  I  was. 

I  soon  found  I  had  but  little  passed  the  place  where  I  had  been  before,  when 
I  had  traveled  on  foot  to  that  shore ;  so,  taking  nothing  out  of  my  boat  but  my 
gun  and  umbrella,  for  it  was  exceedingly  hot,  I  began  my  march.  The  way  was 
comfortable  enough  after  such  a  voyage  as  I  had  been  upon,  and  I  reached  my 
old  bower  in  the  evening,  where  I  found  everything  standing  as  I  left  it ;  for  I 
always  kept  it  in  good  order,  being,  as  I  said  before,  my  country-house. 

I  got  over  the  fence,  and  laid  me  down  in  the  shade  to  rest  my  limbs,  for 
I  was  very  weary,  and  fell  asleep.  But  judge  you,  if  you  can,  that  read  my  story, 
what  a  surprise  I  must  have  been  in  when  I  was  awaked  out  of  my  sleep  by  a 
voice,  calling  me  by  my  name  several  times :  "  Robin,  Robin,  Robin  Crusoe  !  poor 
Robin  Crusoe!  Where  are  you,  Robin  Crusoe?  Where  are  you?  Where  have 
you  been?  " 

I  was  so  dead  asleep  at  first,  being  fatigued  with  rowing,  or  paddling,  as  it  is 
called,  the  first  part  of  the  day,  and  walking  the  latter  part,  that  I  did  not  awake 
thoroughly ;  and  dozing  between  sleeping  and  waking,  thought  I  dreamed  that 
somebody  spoke  to  me ;  but  as  the  voice  continued  to  repeat,  "  Robin  Crusoe ! 
Robin  Crusoe  !  "  at  last  I  began  to  awake  more  perfectly,  and  was  at  first  dread- 
fully frightened,  and  started  up  in  the  utmost  consternation.  But  no  sooner  were 
my  eyes  open  but  I  saw  my  Poll  sitting  on  the  top  of  the  hedge,  and  immediately 
knew  that  it  was  he  that  spoke  to  me ;  for  just  in  such  bemoaning  language  I  had 
used  to  talk  to  him,  and  teach  him ;  and  he  had  learned  it  so  perfectly  that  he 
would  sit  upon  my  finger,  and  lay  his  bill  close  to  my  face,  and  cry,  "  Poor  Robin 
Crusoe!  Where  are  you?  Where  have  you  been?  How  came  you  here?" 
and  such  things  as  I  had  taught  him. 

However,  even  though  I  knew  it  was  the  parrot,  and  that  indeed  it  could  be 
nobody  else,  it  was  a  good  while  before  I  could  compose  myself.  First,  I  was 
amazed  how  the  creature  got  thither ;  and  then,  how  he  should  just  keep  about 
the  place,  and  nowhere  else;  but  as  I  was  well  satisfied  it  could  be  nobody  but 
honest  Poll,  I  got  over  it ;  and  holding  out  my  hand,  and  calling  him  by  his 
name,  "  Poll,"  the  sociable  creature  came  to  me,  and  sat  upon  my  thumb,  as  he 
used  to  do,  and  continued  talking  to  me,  "  Poor  Robin  Crusoe  !  and  how  did  I 
come  here?  and  where  had  I  been?"  just  as  if  he  had  been  overjoyed  to  see  me 
again ;   and  so  I  carried  him  home  along  with  me. 

I  had  now  had  enough  of  rambling  to  sea  for  some  time,  and  had  enough  to 
do  for  many  days  to  sit  still  and  reflect  upon  the  danger  I  had  been  in.     I  would 


My  Pots  and  Wickerware.  103 

have  been  very  glad  to  have  had  my  boat  again  on  my  side  of  the  island ;  but 
I  knew  not  how  it  was  practicable  to  get  it  about.  As  to  the  east  side  of  the 
island,  which  I  had  gone  round,  I  knew  well  enough  there  was  no  venturing  that 
way ;  my  very  heart  would  shrink,  and  my  very  blood  run  chill,  but  to  think  of 
it ;  and  as  to  the  other  side  of  the  island,  I  did  not  know  how  it  might  be  there. 
But  supposing  the  current  ran  with  the  same  force  against  the  shore  at  the  east 
as  it  passed  by  it  on  the  other,  I  might  run  the  same  risk  of  being  driven  down 
the  stream,  and  carried  by  the  island,  as  I  had  been  before  of  being  carried 
away  from  it.  So  with  these  thoughts  I  contented  myself  to  be  without  any  boat, 
though  it  had  been  the  product  of  so  many  months'  labor  to  make  it,  and  of  so 
many  more  to  get  it  into  the  sea. 

In  this  government  of  my  temper  I  remained  near  a  year ;  lived  a  very  sedate, 
retired  life,  as  you  may  well  suppose ;  and  my  thoughts  being  very  much  composed 
as  to  my  condition,  and  fully  comforted  in  resigning  myself  to  the  dispositions  of 
Providence,  I  thought  I  lived  really  very  happily  in  all  things,  except  that  of  society. 

I  improved  myself  in  this  time  in  all  the  mechanic  exercises  which  my  neces- 
sities put  me  upon  applying  myself  to ;  and  I  believe  I  should,  upon  occasion, 
have  made  a  very  good  carpenter,  especially  considering  how  few  tools  I  had. 

Besides  this,  I  arrived  at  an  unexpected  perfection  in  my  earthenware,  and  con- 
trived well  enough  to  make  them  with  a  wheel,  which  I  found  infinitely  easier 
and  better,  because  I  made  things  round  and  shaped,  which  before  were  filthy 
things  indeed  to  look  on.  But  I  think  I  was  never  more  vain  of  my  own  per- 
formance, or  more  joyful  for  anything  I  found  out,  than  for  my  being  able  to 
make  a  tobacco-pipe ;  and  though  it  \\  as  a  very  ugly,  clumsy  thing  when  it  was 
done,  and  only  burnt  red,  like  other  earthenware,  yet  as  it  was  hard  and  firm,  and 
would  draw  the  smoke,  I  was  exceedingly  comforted  with  it,  for  I  had  been 
always  used  to  smoke ;  and  there  were  pipes  in  the  ship,  but  I  forgot  them  at 
first,  not  thinking  that  there  was  tobacco  in  the  island ;  and  afterwards,  when  I 
searched  the  ship  again,  I  could  not  come  at  any  pipes. 

In  my  wickerware  also  I  improved  much,  and  made  abundance  of  necessary 
baskets,  as  well  as  my  invention  showed  me ;  though  not  very  handsome,  yet  they 
were  such  as  were  very  handy,  and  convenient  for  laying  things  up  in,  or  fetching 
things  home.  For  example,  if  I  killed  a  goat  abroad,  I  could  hang  it  up  in  a 
tree,  flay  it,  and  dress  it,  and  cut  it  in  pieces,  and  bring  it  home  in  a  basket: 
and  the  like  by  a  turtle ;  I  could  cut  it  up,  take  out  the  eggs,  and  a  piece  or 
two  of  the  flesh,  which  was  enough  for  me,  and  bring  them  home  in  a  basket, 
and  leave  the  rest  behind  me.  Also,  large  deep  baskets  were  my  receivers  for  my 
corn,  which  I  always  rubbed  out  as  soon  as  it  was  dry,  and  cured ;  and  kept  it  in 
great  baskets,  instead  of  a  granary. 

I  began  now  to  perceive  my  powder  abated  considerably ;  and  this  was  a  want 
which  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  supply,  and  I  began  seriously  to  consider  what 
I  must  do  when  I  should  have  no  more  powder ;  that  is  to  say,  how  I  should  do 
to  kill  any  goats.  I  had,  as  I  observed  in  the  third  year  of  my  being  here,  kept 
a  young  kid,  and  bred  her  up  tame ;   I  was  in  hopes  of  getting  a  he-kid ;  but  I 


1 04  Robinson  Crusoe. 

could  not  by  any  means  bring  it  to  pass,  till  my  kid  grew  an  old  goat ;  and  as  I 
could  never  find  in  my  heart  to  kill  her,  she  died  at  last  of  mere  age. 

But  being  now  in  the  eleventh  year  of  my  residence,  and,  as  I  have  said,  my 
ammunition  growing  low,  I  set  myself  to  study  some  art  to  trap  and  snare  the 
goats,  to  see  whether  I  could  "not  catch  some  of  them  alive ;  and  particularly  I 
wanted  a  she-goat  great  with  young.  To  this  purpose,  I  made  snares  to  hamper 
them ;  and  I  believe  they  were  more  than  once  taken  in  them ;  but  my  tackle  was 
not  good,  for  I  had  no  wire,  and  always  found  them  broken,  and  my  bait 
devoured.  At  length,  I  resolved  to  try  a  pitfall:  so  I  dug  several  large  pits  in 
the  earth,  in  places  where  I  had  observed  the  goats  used  to  feed,  and  over  these 
pits  I  placed  hurdles,  of  my  own  making  too,  with  a  great  weight  upon  them ; 
and  several  times  I  put  ears  of  barley  and  dry  rice,  without  setting  the  trap ;  and 
I  could  easily  perceive  that  the  goats  had  gone  in  and  eaten  up  the  corn,  for  I 
could  see  the  marks  of  their  feet.  At  length,  I  set  three  traps  in  one  night,  and 
going  the  next  morning,  I  found  them  all  standing,  and  yet  the  bait  eaten  and 
gone :  this  was  very  discouraging.  However,  I  altered  my  traps ;  and,  not  to 
trouble  you  with  particulars,  going  one  morning  to  see  my  traps,  I  found  in  one 
of  them  a  large  old  he-goat ;  and  in  one  of  the  others,  three  kids,  a  male  and 
two  females. 

As  to  the  old  one,  I  knew  not  what  to  do  with  him ;  he  was  so  fierce,  I  durst 
not  go  into  the  pit  to  him ;  that  is  to  say,  to  go  about  to  bring  him  away  alive, 
which  was  what  I  wanted.  I  could  have  killed  him,  but  that  was  not  my  business, 
nor  would  it  answer  my  end ;  so  I  even  let  him  out,  and  he  ran  away,  as  if  he 
had  been  frighted  out  of  his  wits ;  but  I  had  forgot  then  what  I  learned  afterwards, 
that  hunger  will  tame  a  lion.  If  I  had  let  him  stay  there  three  or  four  days 
without  food,  and  then  have  earned  him  some  water  to  drink,  and  then  a  little 
corn,  he  would  have  been  as  tame  as  one  of  the  kids ;  for  they  are  mighty 
sagacious,  tractable  creatures,  where  they  are  well  used. 

However,  for  the  present  I  let  him  go,  knowing  no  better  at  that  time :  then  I 
went  to  the  three  kids,  and,  taking  them  one  by  one,  I  tied  them  with  strings 
together,  and  with  some  difficulty  brought  them  all  home. 

It  was  a  good  while  before  they  would  feed ;  but  throwing  them  some  sweet 
corn,  it  tempted  them,  and  they  began  to  be  tame.  And  now  I  found  that  if  I 
expected  to  supply  myself  with  goats'  flesh,  when  I  had  no  powder  or  shot  left, 
breeding  some  up  tame  was  my  only  way ;  when,  perhaps,  I  might  have  them 
about  my  house  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  But,  then,  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  must 
keep  the  tame  from  the  wild,  or  else  they  would  always  run  wild  when  they  grew 
up  ;  and  the  only  way  for  this  was  to  have  some  inclosed  piece  of  ground,  well 
fenced  either  with  hedge  or  pale,  to  keep  them  up  so  effectually,  that  those  within 
might  not  break  out,  or  those  without  break  in. 

This  was  a  great  undertaking  for  one  pair  of  hands ;  yet,  as  I  saw  there  was 
an  absolute  necessity  for  doing  it,  my  first  piece  of  work  was  to  find  out  a  proper 
piece  of  ground  —  viz.,  where  there  was  likely  to  be  herbage  for  them  to  eat, 
water  for  them  to  drink,  and  cover  to  keep  them  from  the  sun. 


My  Paddock  for  the  Goats. 


105 


Those  who  understand  such  inclosures  will  think  I  had  very  little  contrivance, 
when  I  pitched  upon  a  place  very  proper  for  all  these,  being  a  plain,  open  piece 
of  meadow  land,  or  savannah  (as  our  people  call  it  in  the  Western  colonies),  which 
had  two  or  three  little  drills  of  fresh  water  in  it,  and  at  one  end  was  very  woody ; 
I  say,  they  will  smile  at  my  forecast,  when  I  shall  tell  them  I  began  by  inclosing 


"I    FELL    ON    MY    KNEES  "    {p.    IOI). 


of  this  piece  of  ground  in  such  a  manner  that  my  hedge  or  pale  must  have  been 
at  least  two  miles  about.  Nor  was  the  madness  of  it  so  great  as  to  the  compass, 
for  if  it  was  ten  miles  about,  I  was  like  to  have  time  enough  to  do  it  in ;  but 
I  did  not  consider  that  my  goats  would  be  as  wild  in  so  much  compass  as  if 
they  had  had  the  whole  island,  and  I  should  have  so  much  room  to  chase  them 
in  that  I  should  never  catch  them. 

My  hedge  was  begun  and  carried  on,  I  believe,  about  fifty  yards,  when  this 
thought  occurred  to  me ;  so  I  presently  stopped  short,  and,  for  the  first  beginning, 
I  resolved  to  inclose  a  piece  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  length,  and 
one  hundred  yards  in  breadth,  which,  as  it  would  maintain  as  many  as  I  should 


106  Robinson  Crusoe. 

have  in  any  reasonable  time,  so,  as  my  flock  increased,  I  could  add  more  ground 
to  my  inclosure. 

This  was  acting  with  some  prudence,  and  I  went  to  work  with  courage.  I 
was  about  three  months  hedging  in  the  first  piece ;  and,  till  I  had  done  it,  I 
tethered  the  three  kids  in  the  best  part  of  it,  and  used  them  to  feed  as  near  me 
as  possible,  to  make  them  familiar ;  and  very  often  I  would  go  and  carry  them 
some  ears  of  barley,  or  a  handful  of  rice,  and  feed  them  out  of  my  hand ;  so 
that,  after  my  inclosure  was  finished,  and  I  let  them  loose,  they  would  follow  me 
up  and  down,  bleating  after  me  for  a  handful  of  corn. 

This  answered  my  end,  and  in  about  a  year  and  a  half  I  had  a  flock  of 
about  twelve  goats,  kids  and  all ;  and  in  two  years  more  I  had  three-and-forty, 
besides  several  that  I  took  and  killed  for  my  food ;  and  after  that,  I  inclosed  five 
several  pieces  of  ground  to  feed  them  in,  with  little  pens  to  drive  them  into,  to 
take  them  as  I  wanted  them,  and  gates  out  of  one  piece  of  ground  into  another. 

But  this  was  not  all ;  for  now  I  not  only  had  goats'  flesh  to  feed  on  when  I 
pleased,  but  milk  too — a  thing  which,  indeed,  in  my  beginning  I  did  not  so 
much  as  think  of,  and  which,  when  it  came  into  my  thoughts,  was  really  an 
agreeable  surprise ;  for  now  I  set  up  my  dairy,  and  had  sometimes  a  gallon  or 
two  of  milk  in  a  day.  And  as  Nature,  who  gives  supplies  of  food  to  every 
creature,  dictates  even  naturally  how  to  make  use  of  it,  so  I,  that  never  milked 
a  cow,  much  less  a  goat,  or  saw  butter  or  cheese  made,  very  readily  and  handily, 
though  after  a  great  many  essays  and  miscarriages,  made  me  both  butter  and 
cheese  at  last,  and  never  wanted  it  afterwards.  How  mercifully  can  our  Creator 
treat  His  creatures  even  in  those  conditions  in  Avhich  they  seemed  to  be  over- 
whelmed in  destruction!  How  can  He  sweeten  the  bitterest  providences,  and 
give  us  cause  to  praise  Him  for  dungeons  and  prisons!  What  a  table  was  here 
spread  for  me  in  a  wilderness  where  I  saw  nothing  at  first  but  to  perish  for  hunger! 

It  would  have  made  a  Stoic  smile  to  have  seen  me  and  my  little  family  sit 
down  to  dinner.  There  was  my  majesty,  the  prince  and  lord  of  the  whole  island. 
I  had  the  lives  of  all  my  subjects  at  absolute  command ;  I  could  hang,  draw, 
give  life  and  liberty  and  take  it  away,  and  no  rebels  among  all  my  subjects.  Then 
to  see  how  like  a  king  I  dined  too,  all  alone,  attended  by  my  servants'  Poll, 
as  if  he  had  been  my  favorite,  was  the  only  person  permitted  to  talk  to  me ; 
my  dog,  who  was  now  grown  very  old  and  crazy,  and  had  found  no  species  to 
multiply  his  kind  upon,  sat  always  at  my  right  hand ;  and  two  cats,  one  on  one 
side  the  table,  and  one  on  the  other,  expecting  now  and  then  a  bit  from  my  hand, 
as  a  mark  of  special  favor. 

But  these  were  not  the  two  cats  which  I  brought  on  shore  at  first,  for  they 
were  both  of  them  dead,  and  had  been  interred  near  my  habitation  by  my  own 
hand ;  but  one  of  them  having  multiplied  by  I  know  not  what  kind  of  creature, 
these  were  two  which  I  preserved  tame ;  whereas  the  rest  ran  wild  in  the  woods, 
and  became,  indeed,  troublesome  to  me  at  last,  for  they  would  often  come  into 
my  house,  and  plunder  me  too,  till  at  last  I  was  obliged  to  shoot  them,  and  did 
kill  a  great  many ;    at    length    they  left  me.     With    this   attendance  and   in    this 


My  New  Clothes,  107 

plentiful  manner  I  lived ;  neither  could  I  be  said  to  want  anything  but  society ; 
and  of  that,  in  some  time  after  this,  I  was  likely  to  have  too  much. 

I  was  something  impatient,  as  I  have  observed,  to  have  the  use  of  my  boat, 
though  very  loth  to  run  any  more  hazard ;  and,  therefore,  sometimes  I  sat  con- 
triving ways  to  get  her  about  the  island,  and  at  other  times  I  sat  myself  down, 
contented  enough  without  her.  But  I  had  a  strange  uneasiness  in  my  mind  to 
go  down  to  the  point  of  the  island  where,  as  I  have  said,  in  my  last  ramble,  I 
went  up  the  hill  to  see  how  the  shore  lay,  and  how  the  current  set,  that  I  might 
see  what  I  had  to  do.  This  inclination  increased  upon  me  every  day,  and  at 
length  I  resolved  to  travel  thither  by  land  ;  and,  following  the  edge  of  the  shore, 
I  did  so ;  but  had  any  one  in  England  met  such  a  man  as  I  was,  it  must  either 
have  frighted  them  or  raised  a  great  deal  of  laughter :  and  as  I  frequently  stood 
still  to  look  at  myself,  I  could  not  but  smile  at  the  notion  of  my  traveling 
through  Yorkshire  with  such  an  equipage,  and  in  such  a  dress.  Be  pleased  to  take 
a  sketch  of  my  figure,  as  follows :  — 

I  had  a  great,  high,  shapeless  cap  made  of  goat's  skin,  with  a  flap  hanging 
down  behind,  as  well  to  keep  the  sun  from  me  as  to  shoot  the  rain  off  from 
running  into  my  neck ;  nothing  being  so  hurtful  in  these  climates  as  the  rain  upon 
the  flesh  under  the  clothes. 

I  had  a  short  jacket  of  goat's  skin,  the  skirts  coming  down  to  about  the 
middle  of  the  thighs,  and  a  pair  of  open-kneed  breeches  of  the  same ;  the  breeches 
were  made  of  the  skin  of  an  old  he-goat,  whose  hair  hung  down  such  a  length 
on  either  side,  that,  like  pantaloons,  it  reached  to  the  middle  of  my  legs.  Stock- 
ings and  shoes  I  had  none,  but  had  made  me  a  pair  of  somethings — I  scarce 
knew  what  to  call  them — like  buskins,  to  flap  over  my  legs  and  lace  on  either 
side  like  spatterdashes,  but  of  a  most  barbarous  shape,  as,  indeed,  were  all  the 
rest  of  my  clothes. 

I  had  on  a  broad  belt  of  goat's  skin  dried,  which  I  drew  together  with  two 
thongs  of  the  same,  instead  of  buckles ;  and  in  a  kind  of  a  frog  on  either  side 
of  this,  instead  of  a  sword  and  dagger,  hung  a  little  saw  and  a  hatchet,  one  on 
one  side,  one  on  the  other.  I  had  another  belt  not  so  broad,  and  fastened  in 
the  same  manner,  which  hung  over  my  shoulder ;  and  at  the  end  of  it,  under 
my  left  arm,  hung  two  pouches,  both  made  of  goat's  skin  too,  in  one  of  which 
hung  my  powder,  in  the  other  my  shot.  At  my  back  I  carried  my  basket,  on 
my  shoulder  my  gun,  and  over  my  head  a  great  clumsy,  ugly,  goat-skin  umbrella, 
but  which,  after  all,  was  the  most  necessary  thing  I  had  about  me  next  to  my 
gun.  As  for  my  face,  the  color  of  it  was  really  not  so  mulatto-like  as  one 
might  expect  from  a  man  not  at  all  careful  of  it,  and  living  within  nine  or  ten 
degrees  of  the  equinox.  My  beard  I  had  once  suffered  to  grow  till  it  was  about 
a  quarter  of  a  yard  long ;  but  as  I  had  both  scissors  and  razors  sufficient,  I  had 
cut  it  pretty  short,  except  what  grew  on  my  upper  lip,  which  I  had  trimmed  into 
a  large  pair  of  Mahometan  whiskers,  such  as  I  had  seen  worn  by  some  Turks  at 
Sallee ;  for  the  Moors  did  not  wear  such,  though  the  Turks  did.  Of  these 
moustachios,  or  whiskers,  I  will  not  say  they  were  long  enough  to  hang  my  hat 


108  Robinson  Crusoe. 

upon  them,  but  they  were  of  a  length  and  shape  monstrous  enough,  and  such  as 
in  England  would  have  passed  for  frightful. 

But  all  this  is  by  the  bye ;  for,  as  to  my  figure,  I  had  so  few  to  observe  me 
that  it  was  of  no  manner  of  consequence,  so  I  say  no  more  to  that  part.  In 
this  kind  of  dress  I  went  my  new  journey,  and  was  out  five  or  six  days.  I 
traveled  first  along  the  sea-shore,  directly  to  the  place  where  I  first  brought  my 
boat  to  an  anchor,  to  get  up  upon  the  rocks ;  and  having  no  boat  now  to  take 
care  of,  I  went  over  the  land  a  nearer  way  to  the  same  height  that  I  was  upon 
before,  when,  looking  forward  to  the  point  of  the  rock  which  lay  out,  and  which 
I  was  obliged  to  double  with  my  boat,  as  I  said  above,  I  was  surprised  to  see 
the  sea  all  smooth  and  quiet — no  rippling,  no  motion,  no  current  any  more  there 
than  in  other  places.  I  was  at  a  strange  loss  to  understand  this,  and  resolved  to 
spend  some  time  in  the  observing  it,  to  see  if  nothing  from  the  sets  of  the  tide 
had  occasioned  it ;  but  I  was  presently  convinced  how  it  was — viz.,  that  the  tide 
of  ebb  setting  from  the  west,  and  joining  with  the  current  of  waters  from  some 
great  river  on  the  shore,  must  be  the  occasion  of  this  current ;  and  that  accord- 
ing as  the  wind  blew  more  forcible  from  the  west  or  from  the  north,  this  current 
came  near,  or  went  farther  from  the  shore ;  for,  waiting  thereabouts  till  evening, 
I  went  up  to  the  rock  again,  and  then  the  tide  of  ebb  being  made,  I  plainly 
saw  the  current  again  as  before,  only  that  it  ran  farther  off,  being  near  half  a  league 
from  the  shore,  whereas  in  my  case  it  set  close  upon  the  shore,  and  hurried  me 
in  my  canoe  along  with  it,  which  at  another  time  it  would  not  have  done. 

This  observation  convinced  me  that  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  observe  the 
ebbing  and  the  flowing  of  the  tide,  and  I  might  very  easily  bring  my  boat  about 
the  island  again ;  but  when  I  began  to  think  about  putting  it  in  practice,  I  had 
such  terror  upon  my  spirits  at  the  remembrance  of  the  danger  I  had  been  in, 
that  I  could  not  think  of  it  again  with  any  patience ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  I  took 
up  another  resolution,  which  was  more  safe,  though  more  laborious — and  this  was, 
that  I  would  build,  or  rather  make  me  another  periagua,  or  canoe ;  and  so  have 
one  for  one  side  of  the  island,  and  one  for  the  other. 

You  are  to  understand  that  now  I  had,  as  I  may  call  it,  two  plantations  in 
the  island ;  one  my  little  fortification  or  tent,  with  the  wall  about  it,  under  the 
rock,  with  the  cave  behind  me,  which  by  this  time  I  had  enlarged  into  several 
apartments,  or  caves,  one  within  another.  One  of  these,  which  was  the  driest  and 
largest,  and  had  a  door  out  beyond  my  wall  or  fortification — that  is  to  say,  be- 
yond where  my  wall  joined  to  the  rock — was  all  filled  up  with  the  large  earthen 
pots,  of  which  I  have  given  an  account,  and  with  fourteen  or  fifteen  great  baskets, 
which  would  hold  five  or  six  bushels  each,  where  I  laid  up  my  stores  of  pro- 
visions, especially  my  corn,  some  in  the  ear,  cut  off  short  from  the  straw,  and 
the  other  rubbed  out  with  my  hand. 

As  for  my  wall,  made,  as  before,  with  long  stakes  or  piles,  those  piles  grew 
all  like  trees,  and  were  by  this  time  grown  so  big,  and  spread  so  very  much,  that 
there  was  not  the  least  appearance,  to  any  one's  view,  of  any  habitation  behind 
them. 


My  Country  Seat. 


109 


Near  this  dwelling  of  mine,  but  a  little  farther  within  the  land,  and  upon 
lower  ground,  lay  my  two  pieces  of  corn-land,  which  I  kept  duly  cultivated  and 
sowed,  and  which  duly  yielded  me  their  harvest  in  its  season  ;  and  whenever  I 
had  occasion  for  more  corn,  I  had  more  land  adjoining,  as  fit  as  that. 

Besides  this,  I  had  my  country  seat,  and  I  had  now  a  tolerable  plantation  there 
also ;  for  first,  I  had  my  little  bower,  as  I  called  it,  which  I  kept  in  repair — that 
is  to  say,  I  kept  the  hedge  which  circled  it  in,  constantly  fitted  up  to  its  usual 
height,  the  ladder  standing  always  in  the  inside.     I  kept  the  trees,  which  at  first 


"  HOW    LIKE    A    KING    I    DINED  "    (/.    I06). 


were  no  more  than  my  stakes,  but  were  now  grown  very  firm  and  tall,  always  so 
cut  that  they  might  spread  and  grow  thick  and  wild,  and  make  the  more  agree- 
able shade,  which  they  did  effectually  to  my  mind.  In  the  middle  of  this  I  had 
my  tent  always  standing,  being  a  piece  of  a  sail  spread  over  poles  set  up  for  that 
purpose,  and  which  never  wanted  any  repair  or  renewing ;  and  under  this  I  had 
made  me  a  squab,  or  couch,  with  the  skins  of  the  creatures  I  had  killed,  and 
with  other  soft  things,  and  a  blanket  laid  on  them,  such  as  belonged  to  our  sea- 
bedding,  which  I  had  saved ;  and  a  great  watch-coat  to  cover  me ;  and  here, 
whenever  I  had  occasion  to  be  absent  from  my  chief  seat,  I  took  up  my  country 
habitation. 

Adjoining  to  this  I  had  my  inclosures  for  my  cattle — that  is  to  say,  my  goats ; 


no  Robinson  Crusoe. 

and  as  I  had  taken  an  inconceivable  deal  of  pains  to  fence  and  inclose  this  ground, 
I  was  so  anxious  to  see  it  kept  entire,  lest  the  goats  should  break  through,  that 
I  never  left  off  till,  with  infinite  labor,  I  had  stuck  the  outside  of  the  hedge 
so  full  of  small  stakes,  and  so  near  to  one  another,  that  it  was  rather  a  pale 
than  a  hedge,  and  there  was  scarce  room  to  put  a  hand  through  between  them ; 
which  afterwards,  when  those  stakes  grew,  as  they  all  did  in  the  next  rainy  season, 
made  the  inclosure  strong  like  a  wall — indeed,  stronger  than  any  wall. 

This'  will  testify  for  me  that  I  was  not  idle,  and  that  I  spared  no  pains  to 
bring  to  pass  whatever  appeared  necessary  for  my  comfortable  support ;  for  I  con- 
sidered the  keeping  up  a  breed  of  tame  creatures  thus  at  my  hand  would  be  a 
living  magazine  of  flesh,  milk,  butter,  and  cheese  for  me  as  long  as  I  lived  in 
the  place,  if  it  were  to  be  forty  years ;  and  that  keeping  them  in  my  reach  de- 
pended entirely  upon  my  perfecting  my  inclosures  to  such  a  degree  that  I  might 
be  sure  of  keeping  them  together,  which,  by  this  method,  indeed,  I  so  effectually 
secured,  that  when  these  little  stakes  began  to  grow,  I  had  planted  them  so  very 
thick,  I  was  forced  to  pull  some  of  them  up  again. 

In  this  place  also  I  had  my  grapes  growing,  which  I  principally  depended  on 
for  my  winter  store  of  raisins,  and  which  I  never  failed  to  preserve  very  care- 
fully, as  the  best  and  most  agreeable  dainty  of  my  whole  diet ;  and,  indeed,  they 
were  not  agreeable  only,  but  physical,  wholesome,  nourishing,  and  refreshing  to  the 
last  degree. 

As  this  was  also  about  half-way  between  my  other  habitation  and  the  place 
where  I  had  laid  up  my  boat,  I  generally  stayed  and  lay  here  in  my  way  thither, 
for  I  used  frequently  to  visit  my  boat ;  and  I  kept  all  things  about,  or  belonging 
to  her,  in  very  good  order.  Sometimes  I  went  out  in  her  to  divert  myself,  but  no 
more  hazardous  voyages  would  I  go,  scarcely  ever  above  a  stone's  cast  or  two 
from  the  shore,  I  was  so  apprehensive  of  being  hurried  out  of  my  knowledge  again 
by  the  currents  or  winds,  or  any  other  accident.  But  now  I  came  to  a  new  scene 
of  my  life. 

It  happened  one  day,  about  noon,  going  towards  my  boat,  I  was  exceedingly 
surprised  with  the  print  of  a  man's  naked  foot  on  the  shore,  which  was  very  plain 
to  be  seen  on  the  sand.  I  stood  like  one  thunderstruck,  or  as  if  I  had  seen  an 
apparition.  I  listened,  I  looked  round  me,  but  I  could  hear  nothing  nor  see 
anything ;  I  went  up  to  a  rising  ground,  to  look  farther ;  I  went  up  the  shore,  and 
down  the  shore,  but  it  was  all  one :  I  could  see  no  other  impression  but  that  one. 
I  went  to  it  again  to  see  if  there  were  any  more,  and  to  observe  if  it  might  not 
be  my  fancy ;  but  there  was  no  room  for  that,  for  there  was  exactly  the  print  of 
a  foot — toes,  heel,  and  every  part  of  a  foot.  How  it  came  thither  I  knew  not, 
nor  could  in  the  least  imagine.  But  after  innumerable  fluttering  thoughts,  like  a 
man  perfectly  confused  and  out  of  myself,  I  came  home  to  my  fortification,  not 
feeling,  as  we  say,  the  ground  I  went  on,  but  terrified  to  the  last  degree,  looking 
behind  me  at  every  two  or  three  steps,  mistaking  every  bush  and  tree,  and  fancying 
every  stump  at  a  distance  to  be  a  man.  Nor  is  it  possible  to  describe  how  many 
various  shapes  my  affrighted  imagination  represented  things  to  me  in ;   how  many 


Terror.  i  i  i 

wild  ideas  were  formed  every  moment  in  my  fancy,  and  what  strange  unaccount- 
able whimseys  came  into  my  thoughts  by  the  way. 

When  I  came  to  my  castle  (for  so  I  think  I  called  it  ever  after  this),  I  fled 
into  it  like  one  pursued.  Whether  I  went  over  by  the  ladder,  as  first  contrived, 
or  went  in  at  the  hole  in  the  rock,  which  I  called  a  door,  I  cannot  remember ;  for 
never  frighted  hare  fled  to  cover,  or  fox  to  earth,  with  more  terror  of  mind  than 
I  to  this  retreat. 

I  had  no  sleep  that  night ;  the  farther  I  was  from  the  occasion  of  my  fright, 
the  greater  my  apprehensions  were,  which  is  something  contrary  to  the  nature  of 
such  things,  and  especially  to  the  usual  practice  of  all  creatures  in  fear ;  but  I  was 
so  embarrassed  with  my  own  frightful  ideas  of  the  thing,  that  I  formed  nothing  but 
dismal  imaginations  to  myself,  even  though  I  was  now  a  great  way  off  it.  Some- 
times I  fancied  it  must  be  the  devil ;  and  reason  joined  in  with  me  upon  this 
supposition:  for  how  should  any  other  thing  in  human  shape  come  into  the  place? 
Where  was  the  vessel  that  brought  them?  What  marks  were  there  of  any  other 
footsteps?  And  how  was  it  possible  a  man  should  come  there?  But  then  to 
think  that  Satan  should  take  human  shape  upon  him  in  such  a  place,  where  there 
could  be  no  manner  of  occasion  for  it,  but  to  leave  the  print  of  his  foot  behind 
him,  and  that  even  for  no  purpose  too,  for  he  could  not  be  sure  I  should  see  it — 
this  was  an  amazement  the  other  way.  I  considered  that  the  devil  might  have 
found  out  abundance  of  other  ways  to  have  terrified  me  than  this  of  the  single 
print  of  a  foot ;  that  as  I  lived  quite  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  he  would 
never  have  been  so  simple  as  to  leave  a  mark  in  a  place  where  it  was  ten  thousand 
to  one  whether  I  should  ever  see  it  or  not,  and  in  the  sand  too,  which  the  first 
surge  of  the  sea,  upon  a  high  wind,  would  have  defaced  entirely.  All  this  seemed 
inconsistent  with  the  thing  itself,  and  with  all  the  notions  we  usually  entertain  of 
the  subtlety  of  the  devil. 

Abundance  of  such  things  as  these  assisted  to  argue  me  out  of  all  apprehen- 
sions of  its  being  the  devil ;  and  I  presently  concluded  then  that  it  must  be  some 
more  dangerous  creature ;  viz.,  that  it  must  be  some  of  the  savages  of  the  mainland 
over  against  me,  who  had  wandered  out  to  sea  in  their  canoes,  and  either  driven 
by  the  currents  or  by  contrary  winds,  had  made  the  island,  and  had  been  on 
shore,  but  were  gone  away  again  to  sea ;  being  as  loth,  perhaps,  to  have  stayed  in 
this  desolate  island  as  I  would  have  been  to  have  had  them. 

While  these  reflections  were  rolling  upon  my  mind,  I  was  very  thankful  in  my 
thought  that  I  was  so  happy  as  not  to  be  thereabouts  at  that  time,  or  that  they 
did  not  see  my  boat,  by  which  they  would  have  concluded  that  some  inhabitants 
had  been  in  the  place,  and  perhaps  have  searched  farther  for  me.  Then  terrible 
thoughts  racked  my  imagination  about  their  having  found  my  boat,  and  that  there 
were  people  here ;  and  that,  if  so,  I  should  certainly  have  them  come  again  in 
greater  numbers,  and  devour  me ;  that  if  it  should  happen  that  they  should  not 
find  me,  yet  they  would  find  my  inclosure,  destroy  all  my  corn,  and  cany  away 
all  my  flock  of  tame  goats,  and  I  should  perish  at  last  for  mere  want. 

Thus  my  fear  banished   all  my  religious  hope ;    all   that  former  confidence   in 


1 1 2  Robinson  Crusoe. 

God,  which  was  founded  upon  such  wonderful  experience  as  I  had  had  of  His 
goodness,  now  vanished ;  as  if  He  that  had  fed  me  by  miracle  hitherto,  could  not 
preserve  by  His  power  the  provision  which  He  had  made  for  me  by  His  goodness. 
I  reproached  myself  with  my  laziness,  that  would  not  sow  any  more  corn  one  year 
than  would  just  serve  me  till  the  next  season,  as  if  no  accident  could  intervene  to 
prevent  my  enjoying  the  crop  that  was  upon  the  ground ;  and  this  I  thought  so 
just  a  reproof,  that  I  resolved  for  the  future  to  have  two  or  three  years'  corn  before- 
hand, so  that,  whatever  might  come,  I  might  not  perish  for  want  of  bread. 

How  strange  a  checker-work  of  Providence  is  the  life  of  man  !  and  by  what 
secret  differing  springs  are  the  affections  hurried  about,  as  differing  circumstances 
present !  To-day  we  love  what  to-morrow  we  hate  ;  to-day  we  seek  what  to-morrow 
we  shun  ;  to-day  we  desire  what  to-morrow  we  fear,  nay,  even  tremble  at  the 
apprehensions  of.  This  was  exemplified  in  me  at  this  time  in  the  most  lively 
manner  imaginable ;  for  I,  whose  only  affliction  was,  that  I  seemed  banished  from 
human  society,  that  I  was  alone,  circumscribed  by  the  boundless  ocean,  cut  off 
from  mankind,  and  condemned  to  what  I  call  silent  life ;  that  I  was  as  one  whom 
Heaven  thought  not  worthy  to  be  numbered  among  the  living,  or  to  appear 
amongst  the  rest  of  His  creatures ;  that  to  have  seen  one  of  my  own  species  would 
have  seemed  to  me  a  raising  me  from  death  to  life,  and  the  greatest  blessing  that 
Heaven  itself,  next  to  the  supreme  blessing  of  salvation,  could  bestow ;  I  say,  that 
I  should  now  tremble  at  the  very  apprehensions  of  seeing  a  man,  and  was  ready 
to  sink  into  the  ground  at  but  the  shadow  or  silent  appearance  of  a  man  having 
set  his  foot  on  the  island. 

Such  is  the  uneven  state  of  human  life ;  and  it  afforded  me  a  great  many 
curious  speculations  afterwards,  when  I  had  a  little  recovered  my  first  surprise.  I 
considered  that  this  was  the  station  of  life  the  infinitely  wise  and  good  providence 
of  God  had  determined  for  me ;  that  as  I  could  not  foresee  what  the  end  of 
Divine  wisdom  might  be  in  all  this,  so  I  was  not  to  dispute  His  sovereignty,  who, 
as  I  was  His  creature,  had  an  undoubted  right  by  creation  to  govern  and  dispose 
of  me  absolutely  as  He  thought  fit ;  and  who,  as  I  was  a  creature  who  had 
offended  Him,  had  likewise  a  judicial  right  to  condemn  me  to  what  punishment 
He  thought  fit ;  and  that  it  was  my  part  to  submit  to  bear  His  indignation,  because 
I  had  sinned  against  Him.  I  then  reflected  that  God,  who  was  not  only  righteous, 
but  omnipotent,  as  He  had  thought  fit  thus  to  punish  and  afflict  me,  so  He  was 
able  to  deliver  me ;  that  if  He  did  not  think  fit  to  do  it,  it  was  my  unquestioned 
duty  to  resign  myself  absolutely  and  entirely  to  His  will ;  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
it  was  my  duty  also  to  hope  in  Him,  pray  to  Him,  and  quietly  to  attend  the 
dictates  and  directions  of  His  daily  providence. 

These  thoughts  took  me  up  many  hours,  days,  nay,  I  may  say  weeks  and 
months ;  and  one  particular  effect  of  my  cogitations  on  this  occasion  I  cannot 
omit ;  viz.,  one  morning  early,  lying  in  my  bed,  and  filled  with  thoughts  about  my 
danger  from  the  appearance  of  savages,  I  found  it  discomposed  me  very  much ; 
upon  which  those  words  of  the  Scripture  came  into  my  thoughts :  "  Call  upon  Me 
in  the  day  of  trouble :    I  will  deliver  thee,  and  thou  shalt  glorify  Me."     Upon  this, 


'I   STOOD  LIKE  ONE  THUNDERSTRUCK. 


(Step.  no. 


/  Feel  Encouraged. 


™3 


rising  cheerfully  out  of  bed,  my  heart  was  not  only  comforted,  but  I  was  guided 

and  encouraged  to  pray  earnestly  to  God  for  deliverance :   when  I  had  done  praying, 

I  took  up  my  Bible,  and  opening  it  to  read,  the 

first  words  that  presented  to  me  were,  "  Wait  on 

the    Lord :    be   of    good    courage,   and   He   shall 

strengthen  thy  heart :   wait,  I  say,  on  the   Lord."  ,>,sJ;. 

It  is  impossible  to  express  the  comfort  this  gave 

me,   and   in    return   I    thankfully   laid    down    the  ;_  - 

book,  and  was  no  more  sad,  at  least,  not  on  that 

occasion. 

In  the  middle  of  these  cogi- 
tations,  apprehensions,   and 
flections,     it      came     into     my 
thoughts      one      day     that     all 
this    might    be 
a      mere      chi- 
mera     of     my  • 
own,         and 
that    this    foot 
might    be    the 
print      of     my 
own        foot, 
when    I    came 
on  shore    from 
my   boat :    this 
cheered         me 
up      a       little, 
too,       and       I 
began    to    per- 
suade      myself 
it    was     all     a 
delusion ;     that 
it  was   nothing 
else     but      my 
own  foot ;   and 
why    might     I 
not   come   that 
way    from    the 
boat,   as  well   as 
that    I    could    by 


I    HAD    MY    COUNTRY    SEAT"    (/.    IO9). 


I  was  going  that  way  to  the  boat?  Again  I  considered  also 
no  means  tell  for  certain  where  I  had  trod,  and  where  I 
had  not ;  and  that  if,  at  last,  this  was  only  the  print  of  my  own  foot,  I  had 
played  the  part  of  those  fools  who  try  to  make  stories  of  specters  and  apparitions, 
and  then  are  themselves  frighted  at  them  more  than  anybody  else. 

Now  I  began  to  take  courage,  and  to  peep  abroad  again,  for  I  had  not  stirred 


ii4  Robinson  Crusoe. 

out  of  my  castle  for  three  days  and  nights,  so  that  I  began  to  starve  for  provision ; 
for  I  had  little  or  nothing  within  doors  but  some  barley-cakes  and  water.  Then 
I  knew  that  my  goats  wanted  to  be  milked  too,  which  usually  was  my  evening 
diversion  ;  and  the  poor  creatures  were  in  great  pain  and  inconvenience  for  want 
of  it ;  and,  indeed,  it  almost  spoiled  some  of  them,  and  almost  dried  up  their 
milk. 

Heartening  myself,  therefore,  with  the  belief  that  this  was  nothing  but  the  print 
of  one  of  my  own  feet,  and  so  I  might  be  truly  said  to  start  at  my  own  shadow, 
I  began  to  go  abroad  again,  and  went  to  my  country-house  to  milk  my  flock ;  but 
to  see  with  what  fear  I  went  forward,  how  often  I  looked  behind  me,  how  I  was 
ready,  every  now  and  then,  to  lay  down  my  basket,  and  run  for  my  life,  it  would 
have  made  any  one  have  thought  I  was  haunted  with  an  evil  conscience,  or  that 
I  had  been  lately  most  terribly  frighted  ;  and  so,  indeed,  I  had.  However,  as  I 
went  down  thus  two  or  three  days,  and  having  seen  nothing,  I  began  to  be  a 
little  bolder,  and  to  think  there  was  really  nothing  in  it  but  my  own  imagination ; 
but  I  could  not  persuade  myself  fully  of  this  till  I  should  go  down  to  the  shore 
again,  and  see  this  print  of  a  foot,  and  measure  it  by  my  own,  and  see  if  there 
was  any  similitude  or  fitness,  that  I  might  be  assured  it  was  my  own  foot.  But 
when  I  came  to  the  place — first,  it  appeared  evidently  to  me  that  when  I  laid  up 
my  boat,  I  could  not  possibly  be  on  shore  anywhere  thereabouts :  secondly,  when 
I  came  to  measure  the  mark  with  my  own  foot,  I  found  my  foot  not  so  large  by 
a  great  deal.  Both  these  things  filled  my  head  with  new  imaginations,  and  gave 
me  the  vapors  again  to  the  highest  degree,  so  that  I  shook  with  cold  like  one  in 
an  ague ;  and  I  went  home  again,  filled  with  the  belief  that  some  man  or  men 
had  been  on  shore  there  ;  or,  in  short,  that  the  island  was  inhabited,  and  I  might 
be  surprised  before  I  was  aware ;  and  what  course  to  take  for  my  security  I 
knew  not. 

Oh,  what  ridiculous  resolutions  men  take  when  possessed  with  fear!  It  deprives 
them  of  the  use  of  those  means  which  reason  offers  for  their  relief.  The  first  thing 
I  proposed  to  myself  was,  to  throw  down  my  inclosures,  and  turn  all  my  tame 
cattle  wild  into  the  woods,  that  the  enemy  might  not  find  them,  and  then  frequent 
the  island  in  prospect  of  the  same  or  the  like  booty :  then  the  simple  thing  of 
digging  up  my  two  corn-fields  that  they  might  not  find  such  a  grain  there,  and  still 
be  prompted  to  frequent  the  island ;  then  to  demolish  my  bower  and  tent,  that 
they  might  not  see  any  vestiges  of  habitation,  and  be  prompted  to  look  farther, 
in  order  to  find  out  the  persons  inhabiting. 

These  were  the  subjects  of  the  first  night's  cogitations,  after  I  was  come  home 
again,  while  the  apprehensions  which  had  so  overrun  my  mind  were  fresh  upon 
me,  and  my  head  was  full  of  vapors  as  above.  Thus,  fear  of  danger  is  ten 
thousand  times  more  terrifying  than  danger  itself,  when  apparent  to  the  eyes ;  and 
we  find  the  burden  of  anxiety  greater,  by  much,  than  the  evil  which  we  are 
anxious  about :  but,  which  was  worse  than  all  this,  I  had  not  that  relief  in  this 
trouble,  from  .the  resignation  I  used  to  practice,  that  I  hoped  to  have.  I  looked, 
I  thought,  like  Saul,  who  complained  not  only  that  the   Philistines  were  upon  him. 


/  Contrive  New  Defenses.  115 

but  that  God  had  forsaken  him ;  for  I  did  not  now  take  due  ways  to  compose  my 
mind,  by  crying  to  God  in  my  distress,  and  resting  upon  His  providence,  as  I  had 
done  before,  for  my  defense  and  deliverance ;  which  if  I  had  done,  I  had  at  least 
been  more  cheerfully  supported  under  this  new  surprise,  and  perhaps  carried 
through  it  with  more  resolution. 

This  confusion  of  my  thoughts  kept  me  waking  all  night ;  but  in  the  morning 
I  fell  asleep ;  and  having  by  the  amusement  of  my  mind  been,  as  it  were,  tired, 
and  my  spirits  exhausted,  I  slept  very  soundly,  and  awaked  much  better  composed 
than  I  had  ever  been  before.  And  now  I  began  to  think  sedately ;  and,  upon  the 
utmost  debate  with  myself,  I  concluded  that  this  island  (which  was  so  exceeding 
pleasant,  fruitful,  and  no  farther  from  the  mainland  than  as  I  had  seen)  was  not 
so  entirely  abandoned  as  I  might  imagine ;  that  although  there  were  no  stated 
inhabitants  who  lived  on  the  spot,  yet  that  there  might  sometimes  come  boats  off 
from  the  shore,  who,  either  with  design,  or  perhaps  never  but  when  they  were 
driven  by  cross  winds,  might  come  to  this  place ;  that  I  had  lived  here  fifteen 
years  now,  and  had  not  met  with  the  least  shadow  or  figure  of  any  people  yet ; 
and  that,  if  at  any  time  they  should  be  driven  here,  it  was  probable  they  went 
away  again  as  soon  as  ever  they  could,  seeing  they  had  never  thought  fit  to  fix 
here  upon  any  occasion  to  this  time ;  that  the  most  I  could  suggest  any  danger 
from  was,  from  any  casual  accidental  landing  of  straggling  people  from  the  main, 
who,  as  it  was  likely,  if  they  were  driven  hither,  were  here  against  their  wills ;  so 
they  made  no  stay  here,  but  went  off  again  with  all  possible  speed,  seldom  staying 
one  night  on  shore,  lest  they  should  not  have  the  help  of  the  tides  and  daylight 
back  again ;  and  that,  therefore,  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  consider  of  some  safe 
retreat,  in  case  I  should  see  any  savages  land  upon  the  spot. 

Now  I  began  sorely  to  repent  that  I  had  dug  my  cave  so  large  as  to  bring  a 
door  through  again,  which  door,  as  I  said,  came  out  beyond  where  my  fortification 
joined  to  the  rock.  Upon  maturely  considering  this,  therefore,  I  resolved  to  draw 
me  a  second  fortification,  in  the  same  manner  of  a  semicircle,  at  a  distance  from 
my  wall,  just  where  I  had  planted  a  double  row  of  trees  about  twelve  years  before, 
of  which  I  made  mention :  these  trees  having  been  planted  so  thick  before,  there 
wanted  but  few  piles  to  be  driven  between  them,  that  they  should  be  thicker  and 
stronger,  and  my  wall  would  be  soon  finished.  So  that  I  had  now  a  double  wall ; 
and  my  outer  wall  was  thickened  with  pieces  of  timber,  old  cables,  and  everything 
I  could  think  of  to  make  it  strong,  having  in  it  seven  little  holes,  about  as  big  as 
I  might  put  my  arm  out  at.  In  the  inside  of  this,  I  thickened  my  wall  to  about 
ten  feet  thick,  continually  bringing  earth  out  of  my  cave,  and  laying  it  at  the  foot 
of  the  wall,  and  walking  upon  it ;  and  through  the  seven  holes  I  contrived  to 
plant  the  muskets,  of  which  I  took  notice  that  I  got  seven  on  shore  out  of  the 
ship ;  these,  I  say,  I  planted  like  my  cannon,  and  fitted  them  into  frames,  that 
held  them  like  a  carriage,  that  so  I  could  fire  all  the  seven  guns  in  two  minutes' 
time.  This  wall  I  was  many  a  weary  month  in  finishing,  and  yet  never  thought 
myself  safe  till  it  was  done. 

When  this  was  done,  I  stuck  all  the  ground  without  my  wall,  for  a  great  way 


u6  Robinson  Crusoe. 

every  way,  as  full  with  stakes  or  sticks  of  the  osier-like  wood,  which  I  found  so 
apt  to  grow,  as  they  could  well  stand ;  insomuch  that  I  believe  I  might  set  in 
near  twenty  thousand  of  them,  leaving  a  pretty  large  space  between  them  and  my 
wall,  that  I  might  have  room  to  see  an  enemy,  and  they  might  have  no  shelter 
from  the  young  trees,  if  they  attempted  to  approach  my  outer  wall. 

Thus,  in  two  years'  time,  I  had  a  thick  grove ;  and  in  five  or  six  years'  time 
I  had  a  wood  before  my  dwelling  grown  so  monstrous  thick  and  strong  that  it 
was  indeed  perfectly  impassable :  and  no  man,  of  what  kind  soever,  would  ever 
imagine  that  there  was  anything  beyond  it,  much  less  a  habitation.  As  for  the 
way  which  I  proposed  to  myself  to  go  in  and  out  (for  I  left  no  avenue),  it  was 
by  setting  two  ladders,  one  to  a  part  of  the  rock  which  was  low,  and  then  broke 
in,  and  left  room  to  place  another  ladder  upon  that ;  so  when  the  two  ladders 
were  taken  down,  no  man  living  could  come  down  to  me  without  mischiefing 
himself ;  and  if  they  had  come  down,  they  were  still  on  the  outside  of  my 
outer  wall. 

Thus  I  took  all  the  measures  human  prudence  could  suggest  for  my  own 
preservation  ;  and  it  will  be  seen,  at  length,  that  they  were  not  altogether  without 
just  reason ;  though  I  foresaw  nothing  at  that  time  more  than  my  mere  fear 
suggested  to  me. 

While  this  was  doing,  I  was  not  altogether  careless  of  my  other  affairs ;  for  I 
had  a  great  concern  upon  me  for  my  little  herd  of  goats :  they  were  not  only  a 
present  supply  to  me  upon  every  occasion,  and  began  to  be  sufficient  for  me 
without  the  expense  of  powder  and  shot,  but  also  abated  the  fatigue  of  my  hunt- 
ing after  the  wild  ones ;  and  I  was  loth  to  lose  the  advantage  of  them,  and  to 
have  them  all  to  nurse  up  over  again. 

For  this  purpose,  after  long  consideration,  I  could  think  of  but  two  ways  to 
preserve  them :  one  was  to  find  another  convenient  place  to  dig  a  cave  under 
ground,  and  to  drive  them  into  it  every  night ;  and  the  other  was  to  inclose  two 
or  three  little  bits  of  land,  remote  from  one  another,  and  as  much  concealed  as 
I  could,  where  I  might  keep  about  half  a  dozen  young  goats  in  each  place ;  so 
that  if  any  disaster  happened  to  the  flock  in  general,  I  might  be  able  to  raise 
them  again  with  little  trouble  and  time :  and  this,  though  it  would  require  a  good 
deal  of  time  and  labor,  I  thought  was  the  most  rational  design. 

Accordingly,  I  spent  some  time  to  find  out  the  most  retired  parts  of  the 
island ;  and  I  pitched  upon  one  which  was  as  private  indeed  as  my  heart  could 
wish :  it  was  a  little  damp  piece  of  ground,  in  the  middle  of  the  hollow  and 
thick  woods,  where,  as  is  observed,  I  almost  lost  myself  once  before,  endeavoring 
to  come  back  that  way  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  island.  Here  I  found  a 
clear  piece  of  land,  near  three  acres,  so  surrounded  with  woods  that  it  was  almost 
an  inclosure  by  Nature ;  at  least,  it  did  not  want  near  so  much  labor  to  make 
it  so,  as  the  other  pieces  of  ground  I  had  worked  so  hard  at. 

I  immediately  went  to  work  with  this  piece  of  ground  ;  and,  in  less  than  a 
month's  time,  I  had  so  fenced  it  round  that  my  flock,  or  herd,  call  it  which  you 
please,  which  were  not  so  wild  now  as  at    first    they  might  be  supposed  to  be, 


Fur  ther  Pre  ca  utions. 


117 


were  well  enough  secured  in  it.  So,  without  any  further  delay,  I  removed  ten 
she-goats,  and  two  he-goats,  to  this  piece ;  and,  when  they  were  there,  I  continued 
to  perfect  the  fence,  till  I  had  made  it  as  secure  as  the  other ;  which,  however, 
I  did  at  more  leisure,  and  it  took  me  up  more  time  by  a  great  deal. 

All  this  labor  I  was  at  the  expense  of,  purely  from  my  apprehensions  on  the 
account  of  the  print  of  a  man's  foot  which  I  had  seen  ;  for,  as  yet,  I  had  never 
seen  any  human  creature  come  near  the  island ;  and  I  had  now  lived  two  years 
under  this  uneasiness,  which,  indeed,  made  my  life  much  less  comfortable  than 
it  was  before,  as  may  well  be  imagined  by  any  who  know  what  it  is  to  live  in 


"my  evening  diversion"  (/>.  114). 


the  constant  snare  of  the  fear  of  man.  And  this  I  must  observe,  with  grief,  too, 
that  the  discomposure  of  my  mind  had  too  great  impressions  also  upon  the  religious 
part  of  my  thoughts ;  for  the  dread  and  terror  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  savages 
and  cannibals  lay  so  upon  my  spirits,  that  I  seldom  found  myself  in  a  due  temper 
for  application  to  my  Maker ;  at  least,  not  with  the  sedate  calmness  and  resigna- 
tion of  soul  which  I  was  wont  to  do :  I  rather  prayed  to  God  as  under  great 
affliction  and  pressure  of  mind,  surrounded  with  danger,  and  in  expectation  every 
night  of  being  murdered  and  devoured  before  morning ;  and  I  must  testify,  from 
my  experience,  that  a  temper  of  peace,  thankfulness,  love,  and  affection,  is  much 
the  more  proper  frame  for  prayer  than  that  of  terror  and  discomposure ;  and  that 
under  the  dread  of  mischief  impending,  a  man  is  no  more  fit  for  a  comforting 
performance  of  the  duty  of  praying  to  God,  than  he  is  for  repentance  on  a  sick- 
bed ;  for  these  discomposures  affect  the  mind,  as  the  others  do  the  body :  and 
the  discomposure  of  the  mind  must  necessarily  be  as  great  a  disability  as  that  of 


1 1 8  Robinson  Crusoe.. 

the  body,  and  much  greater ;  praying  to  God  being  properly  an  act  of  the  mind, 
not  of  the  body. 

But  to  go  on :  after  I  had  thus  secured  one  part  of  my  little  living  stock,  I 
went  about  the  whole  island,  searching  for  another  private  place  to  make  such 
another  deposit ;  when,  wandering  more  to  the  west  point  of  the  island  than  I 
had  ever  done  yet,  and  looking  out  to  sea,  I  thought  I  saw  a  boat  upon  the 
sea,  at  a  great  distance.  I  had  found  a  perspective  glass  or  two  in  one  of  the 
seamen's  chests,  which  I  saved  out  of  our  ship,  but  I  had  it  not  about  me ;  and 
this  was  so  remote  that  I  could  not  tell  what  to  make  of  it,  though  I  looked  at 
it  till  my  eyes  were  not  able  to  hold  to  look  any  longer :  whether  it  was  a  boat 
or  not,  I  do  not  know ;  but  as  I  descended  from  the  hill  I  could  see  no  more 
of  it,  so  I  gave  it  over ;  only  I  resolved  to  go  no  more  out  without  a  perspective 
glass  in  my  pocket. 

When  I  was  come  down  the  hill  to  the  end  of  the  island,  where,  indeed,  I 
had  never  been  before,  I  was  presently  convinced  that  the  seeing  the  print  of  a 
man's  foot  was  not  such  a  strange  thing  in  the  island  as  I  imagined ;  and  but 
that  it  was  a  special  providence  that  I  was  cast  upon  the  side  of  the  island  where 
the  savages  never  came,  I  should  easily  have  known  that  nothing  was  more  fre- 
quent than  for  the  canoes  from  the  main,  when  they  happened  to  be  a  little  too 
far  out  at  sea,  to  shoot  over  to  that  side  of  the  island  for  harbor:  likewise,  as 
they  often  met  and  fought  in  their  canoes,  the  victors,  having  taken  any  prisoners, 
would  bring  them  over  to  this  shore,  were,  according  to  their  dreadful  customs, 
being  all  cannibals,  they  would  kill  and  eat  them ;   of  which  hereafter. 

When  I  was  come  down  the  hill  to  the  shore,  as  I  said  above,  being  the 
S.W.  point  of  the  island,  I  was  perfectly  confounded  and  amazed ;  nor  is  it  possible 
for  me  to  express  the  horror  of  my  mind,  at  seeing  the  shore  spread  with  skulls, 
hands,  feet,  and  other  bones  of  human  bodies ;  and  particularly,  I  observed  a 
place  where  there  had  been  a  fire  made,  and  a  circle  dug  in  the  earth,  like  a 
cockpit,  where  I  supposed  the  savage  wretches  had  sat  down  to  their  inhuman 
feastings  upon  the  bodies  of  their  fellow-creatures. 

I  was  so  astonished  with  the  sight  of  these  things,  that  I  entertained  no  notions 
of  any  danger  to  myself  from  it  for  a  long  while ;  all  my  apprehensions  were 
buried  in  the  thoughts  of  such  a  pitch  of  inhuman,  hellish  brutality,  and  the  horror 
of  the  degeneracy  of  human  nature,  which,  though  I  had  heard  of  often,  yet  I 
never  had  so  near  a  view  of  before  ;  in  short,  I  turned  away  my  face  from  the 
horrid  spectacle  ;  my  stomach  grew  sick,  and  I  was  just  at  the  point  of  fainting, 
when  Nature  discharged  the  disorder  from  my  stomach ;  and  having  vomited  with 
uncommon  violence,  I  was  a  little  relieved,  but  could  not  bear  to  stay  in  the 
place  a  moment ;  so  I  got  up  the  hill  again  with  all  the  speed  I  could,  and 
walked  on  towards  my  own  habitation. 

When  I  came  a  little  out  of  that  part  of  the  island,  I  stood  still  awhile,  as 
amazed,  and  then,  recovering  myself,  I  looked  up  with  the  utmost  affection  of 
my  soul,  and,  with  a  flood  of  tears  in  my  eyes,  gave  God  thanks,  that  had  cast 
my  first  lot  in  a  part   of  the  world  where   I  was  distinguished  from  such  dreadful 


A   Cannibal  Orgie.  119 

creatures  as  these ;  and  that  though  I  had  esteemed  my  present  condition  very 
miserable,  had  yet  given  me  so  many  comforts  in  it  that  I  had  still  more  to  give 
thanks  for  than  to  complain  of :  and  this,  above  all,  that  I  had,  even  in  this 
miserable  condition,  been  comforted  with  the  knowledge  of  Himself,  and  the  hope 
of  His  blessing :  which  was  a  felicity  more  than  sufficiently  equivalent  to  all  the 
misery  which  I  had  suffered,  or  could  suffer. 

'In  this  frame  of  thankfulness,  I  went  home  to  my  castle,  and  began  to  be 
much  easier  now,  as  to  the  safety  of  my  circumstances,  than  ever  I  was  before : 
for  I  observed  that  these  wretches  never  -came  to  this  island  in  search  of  what 
they  could  get ;  perhaps  not  seeking,  not  wanting,  or  not  expecting,  anything  here  ; 
and  having  often,  no  doubt,  been  up  in  the  covered,  woody  part  of  it,  without 
finding  anything  to  their  purpose.  I  knew  I  had  been  here  now  almost  eighteen 
years,  and  never  saw  the  least  footsteps  of  human  creature  there  before ;  and  I 
might  be  eighteen  years  more  as  entirely  concealed  as  I  was  now,  if  I  did  not 
discover  myself  to  them,  which  I  had  no  manner  of  occasion  to  do ;  it  being  my 
only  business  to  keep  myself  entirely  concealed  where  I  was,  unless  I  found  a 
better  sort  of  creatures  than  cannibals  to  make  myself  known  to.  Yet  I  enter- 
tained such  an  abhorrence  of  the  savage  wretches  that  I  have  been  speaking  of, 
and  of  the  wretched  inhuman  custom  of  their  devouring  and  eating  one  another 
up,  that  I  continued  pensive  and  sad,  and  kept  close  within  my  own  circle  for 
almost  two  years  after  -this :  when  I  say  my  own  circle,  I  mean  by  it  my  three 
plantations,  viz.,  my  castle,  my  country-seat  (which  I  called  my  bower),  and  my 
inclosure  in  the  woods :  nor  did  I  look  after  this  for  any  other  use  than  as  an 
inclosure  for  my  goats ;  for  the  aversion  which  Nature  gave  me  to  these  hellish 
wretches  was  such,  that  I  was  as  fearful  of  seeing  them  as  of  seeing  the  devil 
himself,  nor  did  I  so  much  as  go  to  look  after  my  boat  in  all  this  time,  but 
began  rather  to  think  of  making  me  another ;  for  I  could  not  think  of  ever 
making  any  more  attempts  to  bring  the  other  boat  round  the  island  to  me,  lest 
I  should  meet  with  some  of  those  creatures  at  sea ;  in  which  case,  if  I  had 
happened  to  have  fallen  into  their  hands,  I  knew  what  would  have  been  my  lot. 

Time,  however,  and  the  satisfaction  I  had  that  I  was  in  no  danger  of  being 
discovered  by  these  people,  began  to  wear  off  my  uneasiness  about  them ;  and  I 
began  to  live  just  in  the  same  composed  manner  as  before,  only  with  this  differ- 
ence, that  I  used  more  caution,  and  kept  my  eyes  more  about  me  than  I  did 
before,  lest  I  should  happen  to  be  seen  by  any  of  them ;  and  particularly  I  was 
more  cautious  in  firing  my  gun,  lest  any  of  them,  being  on  the  island,  should 
happen  to  hear  it ;  and  it  was,  therefore,  a  very  good  providence  to  me  that  I 
had  furnished  myself  with  a  tame  breed  of  goats,  and  that  I  had  no  need  to 
hunt  any  more  about  the  woods,  or  shoot  at  them ;  and  if  I  did  catch  any  of 
them  after  this,  it  was  by  traps  and  snares,  as  I  had  done  before :  so  that  for 
two  years  after  this,  I  believe  I  never  fired  my  gun  once  off,  though  I  never 
went  out  without  it ;  and,  which  was  more,  as  I  had  saved  three  pistols  out  of 
the  ship,  I  always  carried  them  out  with  me,  or  at  least  two  of  them,  sticking 
them  in  my  goat-skin  belt.     I    likewise  furbished  up    one   of  the   great  cutlasses 


120 


Rob  ins  on  Crusoe. 


"a  place  where  there  had  been  a  fire  made"  (p.  118). 


that  I  had  out  of  the  ship,  and  made  me  a  belt  to  put  it  on  also ;  so  that  I 
was  now  a  most  formidable  fellow  to  look  at  when  I  went  abroad,  if  you  add 
to  the  former  description  of  myself,  the  particular  of  two  pistols,  and  a  great 
broadsword  hanging  at  my  side  in  a  belt,  but  without  a  scabbard. 

Things  going  on  thus,  as  I  have  said,  for  some  time,  I  seemed,  excepting 
these  cautions,  to  be  reduced  to  my  former  calm,  sedate  way  of  living.  All  these 
things  tended  to  show  me,  more  and  more,  how  far  my  condition  was  from  being 
miserable,  compared  to  some  others ;  nay,  to  many  other  particulars  of  life,  which 
it  might  have  pleased  God  to  have  made  my  lot.  It  put  me  upon  reflecting  how 
little  repining  there  would  be  among  mankind  at  any  condition  of  life,  if  people 
would  rather  compare  their  condition  with  those  that  are  worse,  in  order  to  be 
thankful,  than  be  always  comparing  them  with  those  which  are  better,  to  assist 
their  murmurings  and  complainings. 

As  in  my  present  condition  there  were  not  really  many  things  which  I  wanted, 
so,  indeed,  I  thought  that  the  frights  I  had  been  in  about  these  savage  wretches, 
and  the  concern  I  had  been  in  for  my  own  preservation,  had  taken  off  the  edge 
of  my  invention  for  my  own  conveniences ;  and  I  had  dropped  a  good  design, 
which  I  had  once  bent  my  thoughts  upon,  and  that  was  to  try  if  I  could  not 
make  some  of  my  barley  into  malt,  and  then  try  to  brew  myself  some  beer.  This 
was  really  a  whimsical  thought,  and  I  reproved  myself  often  for  the  simplicity  of 


Plans  Against  the  Savages.  121 

it :  for  I  presently  saw  there  would  be  the  want  of  several  things  necessary  to 
the  making  my  beer,  that  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  supply ;  as,  first, 
casks  to  preserve  it  in,  which  was  a  thing  that,  as  I  have  observed  already,  I 
could  never  compass ;  no,  though  I  spent  not  many  days,  but  weeks,  nay,  months, 
in  attempting  it,  but  to  no  purpose.  In  the  next  place,  I  had  no  hops  to  make 
it  keep,  no  yeast  to  make  it  work,  no  copper  or  kettle  to  make  it  boil ;  and  yet 
had  not  all  these  things  intervened — I  mean  the  frights  and  terrors  I  was  in 
about  the  savages — I  had  undertaken  it,  and  perhaps  brought  it  to  pass,  too ;  for 
I  seldom  gave  anything  over  without  accomplishing  it,  when  I  once  had  it  in 
my  head  enough  to  begin  it.  But  my  invention  now  ran  quite  another  way ;  for, 
night  and  day,  I  could  think  of  nothing  but  how  I  might  destroy  some  of  these 
monsters,  in  their  cruel,  bloody  entertainment ;  and,  if  possible,  save  the  victim 
they  should  bring  hither  to  destroy.  It  would  take  up  a  larger  volume  than  this 
whole  work  is  intended  to  be,  to  set  down  all  the  contrivances  I  hatched,  or 
rather  brooded  upon,  in  my  thoughts,  for  the  destroying  these  creatures,  or  at 
least  frightening  them  so  as  to  prevent  their  coming  hither  any  more :  but  all 
was  abortive  ;  nothing  could  be  possible  to  take  effect,  unless  I  was  to  be  there 
to  do  it  myself :  and  what  could  one  man  do  among  them,  when  perhaps  there 
might  be  twenty  or  thirty  of  them  together  with  their  darts,  or  their  bows  and 
arrows,  with  which  they  could  shoot  as  true  to  a  mark  as  I  could  with  my  gun? 

Sometimes  I  thought  of  digging  a  hole  under  the  place  where  they  made  their 
fire,  and  putting  in  five  or  six  pounds  of  gunpowder,  which,  when  they  kindled 
their  fire,  would  consequently  take  fire,  and  blow  up  all  that  was  near  it :  but 
as,  in  the  first  place,  I  should  be  unwilling  to  waste  so  much  powder  upon  them, 
my  store  being  now  within  the  quantity  of  one  barrel,  so  neither  could  I  be  sure 
of  its  going  off  at  any  certain  time,  when  it  might  surprise  them ;  and,  at  best, 
that  it  would  do  little  more  than  just  blow  the  fire  about  their  ears  and  fright 
them,  but  not  sufficient  to  make  them  forsake  the  place :  so  I  laid  it  aside ;  and 
then  proposed  that  I  would  place  myself  in  ambush  in  some  convenient  place, 
with  my  three  guns  all  double  loaded,  and  in  the  middle  of  their  bloody  ceremony 
let  fly  at  them,  when  I  should  be  sure  to  kill  or  wound  perhaps  two  or  three  at 
every  shot ;  and  then  falling  in  upon  them  with  my  three  pistols  and  my  sword, 
I  made  no  doubt  but  that,  if  there  were  twenty,  I  should  kill  them  all.  This 
fancy  pleased  my  thoughts  for  some  weeks,  and  I  was  so  full  of  it,  that  I  often 
dreamed  of  it,  and  sometimes,  that  I  was  just  going  to  let  fly  at  them  in  my 
sleep.  I  went  so  far  with  it  in  my  imagination,  that  I  employed  myself  several 
days  to  find  out  proper  places  to  put  myself  in  ambuscade,  as  I  said,  to  watch 
for  them,  and  I  went  frequently  to  the  place  itself,  which  was  now  grown  more 
familiar  to  me;  but  while  my  mind, was  thus  filled  with  thoughts  of  revenge  and 
of  a  bloody  putting  twenty  or  thirty  of  them  to  the  sword,  as  I  may  call  it,  the 
horror  I  had  at  the  place,  and  at  the  signals  of  the  barbarous  wretches  devouring 
one  another,  abetted  my  malice.  Well,  at  length  I  found  a  place  in  the  side  of 
the  hill,  where  I  was  satisfied  I  might  securely  wait  till  I  saw  any  of  their  boats 
coming ;    and  might   then,    even   before   they  would   be   ready   to  come  on  shore, 


122  Robiatson  Crusoe. 

convey  myself  unseen  into  some  thickets  of  trees,  in  one  of  which  there  was  a 
hollow  large  enough  to  conceal  me  entirely ;  and  there  I  might  sit  and  observe 
all  their  bloody  doings,  and  take  my  full  aim  at  their  heads,  when  they  were  so 
close  together  as  that  it  would  be  next  to  impossible  that  I  should  miss  my  shot, 
or  that  I  could  fail  wounding  three  or  four  of  them  at  the  first  shot.  In  this 
place,  then,  I  resolved  to  fix  my  design  ;  and  accordingly  I  prepared  two  muskets 
and  my  ordinary  fowling-piece.  The  two  muskets  I  loaded  with  a  brace  of  slugs 
each,  and  four  or  five  smaller  bullets,  about  the  size  of  pistol  bullets ;  and  the 
fowling-piece  I  loaded  with  near  a  handful  of  swan-shot  of  the  largest  size ;  I  also 
loaded  my  pistols  with  about  four  bullets  each ;  and  in  this  posture,  well  pro- 
vided with  ammunition  for  a  second  and  third  charge,  I  prepared  myself  for  my 
expedition. 

After  I  had  thus  laid  the  scheme  of  my  design,  and  in  my  imagination  put 
it  in  practice,  I  continually  made  my  tour  every  morning  to  the  top  of  the  hill, 
which  was  from  my  castle,  as  I  called  it,  about  three  miles,  or  more,  to  see  if 
I  could  observe  any  boats  upon  the  sea,  coming  near  the  island,  or  standing  over 
towards  it ;  but  I  began  to  tire  of  this  hard  duty,  after  I  had  for  two  or  three 
months  constantly  kept  my  watch,  but  came  always  back  without  any  discovery ; 
there  having  not,  in  all  that  time,  been  the  least  appearance,  not  only  on  or 
near  the  shore,  but  on  the  whole  ocean,  as  far  as  my  eyes  or  glass  could  reach 
every  way. 

As  long  as  I  kept  my  daily  tour  to  the  hill  to  look  out,  so  long  also  I  kept 
up  the  vigor  of  my  design,  and  my  spirits  seemed  to  be  all  the  while  in  a 
suitable  frame  for  so  outrageous  an  execution  as  the  killing  twenty  or  thirty  naked 
savages,  for  an  offense  which  I  had  not  at  all  entered  into  a  discussion  of  in  my 
thoughts,  any  farther  than  my  passions  were  at  first  fired  by  the  horror  I  conceived 
at  the  unnatural  custom  of  the  people  of  that  country ;  who,  it  seems,  had  been 
suffered  by  Providence,  in  His  wise  disposition  of  the  world,  to  have  no  other 
guide  than  that  of  their  own  abominable  and  vitiated  passions ;  and,  consequently, 
were  left,  and  perhaps  had  been  so  for  some  ages,  to  act  such  horrid  things,  and 
receive  such  dreadful  customs,  as  nothing  but  nature,  entirely  abandoned  by 
Heaven,  and  actuated  by  some  hellish  degeneracy,  could  have  run  them  into. 
But  now,  when,  as  I  have  said,  I  began  to  be  weary  of  the  fruitless  excursion 
which  I  had  made  so  long  and  so  far  every  morning  in  vain,  so  my  opinion  of 
the  action  itself  began  to  alter ;  and  I  began,  with  cooler  and  calmer  thoughts,  to 
consider  what  I  was  going  to  engage  in ;  what  authority  or  call  I  had  to  pretend 
to  be  judge  and  executioner  upon  these  men  as  criminals,  whom  Heaven  had 
thought  fit,  for  so  many  ages,  to  suffer,  unpunished,  to  go  on,  and  to  be,  as  it 
were,  the  executioners  of  His  judgments,  one  upon  another ;  how  far  these  people 
were  offenders  against  me,  and  what  right  I  had  to  engage  in  the  quarrel  of  that 
blood  which  they  shed  promiscuously  upon  one  another.  I  debated  this  very  often 
with  myself  thus: — "How  do  I  know  what  God  Himself  judges  in  this  particular 
case?  It  is  certain  these  people  do  not  commit  this  as  a  crime;  it  is  not  against 
their  own  consciences  reproving,  or  their  light  reproaching  them ;    they  do  not  know 


Ought  I  to  Kill  the  Savages?  123 

it  to  be  an  offense,  and  then  commit  it  in  defiance  of  Divine  justice,  as  we  do 
in  almost  all  the  sins  we  commit.  They  think  it  no  more  a  crime  to  kill  a 
captive  taken  in  war,  than  we  do  to  kill  an  ox;  or  to  eat  human  flesh,  than  we 
do  to  eat  mutton." 

When  I  considered  this  a  little,  it  followed  necessarily  that  I  was  certainly  in 
the  wrong  in  it ;  that  these  people  were  not  murderers  in  the  sense  that  I  had 
before  condemned  them  in  my  thoughts,  any  more  than  those  Christians  were 
murderers  who  often  put  to  death  the  prisoners  taken  in  battle ;  or  more  fre- 
quently, upon  many  occasions,  put  whole  troops  of  men  to  the  sword,  without 
giving  quarter,  though  they  threw  down  their  arms  and  submitted.  In  the  next 
place,  it  occurred  to  me,  that  albeit  the  usage  they  gave  one  another  was  thus 
brutish  and  inhuman,  yet  it  was  really  nothing  to  me-  These  people  had  done 
me  no  injury ;  that  if  they  attempted  me,  or  I  saw  it  necessary,  for  my  immediate 
preservation,  to  fall  upon  them,  something  might  be  said  for  it :  but  that  I  was 
yet  out  of  their  power,  and  they  really  had  no  knowledge  of  me,  and  consequently 
no  design  upon  me ;  and,  therefore,  it  could  not  be  just  for  me  to  fall  upon  them. 
That  this  would  justify  the  conduct  of  the  Spaniards  in  all  their  barbarities 
practiced  in  America,  where  they  destroyed  millions  of  these  people ;  who,  however 
they  were  idolaters  and  barbarians,  and  had  several  bloody  and  barbarous  rites  in 
their  customs,  such  as  sacrificing  human  bodies  to  their  idols,  were  yet,  as  to  the 
Spaniards,  very  innocent  people ;  and  that  the  rooting  them  out  of  the  country  is 
spoken  of  with  the  utmost  abhorrence  and  detestation  by  even  the  Spaniards  them- 
selves, at  this  time,  and  by  all  other  Christian  nations  in  Europe,  as  a  mere 
butchery,  a  bloody  and  unnatural  piece  of  cruelty,  unjustifiable  either  to  God  or 
man ;  and  such  as  for  which  the  very  name  of  a  Spaniard  is  reckoned  to  be 
frightful  and  terrible  to  all  people  of  humanity  or  of  Christian  compassion ;  as  if 
the  kingdom  of  Spain  were  particularly  eminent  for  the  product  of  a  race  of  men 
who  were  without  principles  of  tenderness,  or  the  common  bowels  of  pity  to  the 
miserable,  which  is  reckoned  to  be  a  mark  of  a  generous  temper  in  the  mind. 

These  considerations  really  put  me  to  a  pause,  and  to  a  kind  of  a  full  stop ; 
and  I  began,  by  little  and  little,  to  be  off  my  design,  and  to  conclude  I  had 
taken  wrong  measures  in  my  resolution  to  attack  the  savages ;  and  that  it  was 
not  my  business  to  meddle  with  them,  unless  they  first  attacked  me ;  and  this  it 
was  my  business,  if  possible,  to  prevent :  but  that  if  I  were  discovered  and 
attacked  by  them,  then  I  knew  my  duty.  On  the  other  hand,  I  argued  with 
myself  that  this  really  was  the  way  not  to  deliver  myself,  but  entirely  to  ruin  and 
destroy  myself ;  for,  unless  I  was  sure  to  kill  every  one  that  not  only  should  be 
on  shore  at  that  time,  but  that  should  ever  come  on  shore  afterwards,  if  but  one 
of  them  escaped  to  tell  their  country-people  what  had  happened,  they  would  come 
over  again  by  thousands  to  revenge  the  death  of  their  fellows,  and  I  should  only 
bring  upon  myself  a  certain  destruction,  which,  at  present,  I  had  no  manner  of 
occasion  for.  Upon  the  whole,  I  concluded  that  I  ought  neither  in  principle 
nor  in  policy,  one  way  or  other,  to  concern  myself  in  this  affair ;  that  my  business 
was,   by  all  possible  means,  to  conceal  myself  from   them,  and  not  to  leave  the 


124 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


least  sign  for  them  to  guess  by  that  there  were  any  living  creatures  upon  the 
island — I  mean  of  human  shape.  Religion  joined  in  with  this  prudential  resolu- 
tion; and  I  was  convinced  now,  many  ways,  that  I  was  perfectly  out  of  my  duty 
when  I  was  laying  all  my  bloody  schemes  for  the  destruction  of  innocent  creatures 
— I  mean  innocent  as  to  me.  As  to  the  crimes  they  were  guilty  of  towards  one 
another,  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  them ;   these  were  national  punishments,  to  make 


TO    SEE    IF    I    COULD    OBSERVE    ANY    BOATS"    (/.    122). 


a  just  retribution  for  national  offenses,  and  to  bring  public  judgment  upon  those 
who  offend  in  a  public  manner,  by  such  ways  as  best  please  God.  This  appeared 
so  clear  to  me  now,  that  nothing  was  a  greater  satisfaction  to  me  than  that  I  had 
not  been  suffered  to  do  a  thing  which  I  now  saw  so  much  reason  to  believe 
would  have  been  no  less  a  sin  than  that  of  willful  murder,  if  I  had  committed  it; 
and  I  gave  most  humble  thanks,  on  my  knees,  to  God,  that  He  had  thus  delivered 
me  from  blood-guiltiness ;  beseeching  Him  to  grant  me  the  protection  of  His 
providence,  that  I  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  barbarians,  or  that  I  might 
not  lay  my  hands  upon  them,  unless  I  had  a  more  clear  call  from  Heaven  to  do 
it,  in  defense  of  my  own  life. 

In  this  disposition  I  continued  for  near  a  year  after  this ;    and  so  far  was  I 


/  Remove  my  Boat.  125 

from  desiring  an  occasion  for  falling  upon  these  wretches,  that  in  all  that  time  I 
never  once  went  up  the  hill  to  see  whether  there  were  any  of  them  in  sight,  or 
to  know  whether  any  of  them  had  been  on  shore  there  or  not,  that  I  might 
not  be  tempted  to  renew  any  of  my  contrivances  against  them,  or  be  provoked 
by  any  advantage  that  might  present  itself,  to  fall  upon  them ;  only  this  I  did : 
I  went  and  removed  my  boat,  which  I  had  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  and 
carried  it  down  to  the  east  end  of  the  whole  island,  where  I  ran  it  into  a  little 
cove,  which  I  found  under  some  high  rocks,  and  where  I  knew,  by  reason  of  the 
currents,  the  savages  durst  not,  at  least  would  not,  come  with  their  boats  upon 
any  account  whatever.  With  my  boat  I  carried  away  everything  that  I  had  left 
there  belonging  to  her,  though  not  necessary  for  the  bare  going  thither — viz.,  a 
mast  and  sail  which  I  had  made  for  her,  and  a  thing  like  an  anchor,  but  which 
indeed  could  not  be  called  either  anchor  or  grapnel ;  however,  it  was  the  best  I 
could  make  of  its  kind :  all  these  I  removed,  that  there  might  not  be  the  least 
shadow  for  discovery,  or  any  appearance  of  any  boat,  or  of  any  habitation  upon  the 
island.  Besides  this,  I  kept  myself,  as  J  said,  more  retired  than  ever,  and  seldom 
went  from  my  cell,  except  upon  my  constant  employment,  viz.,  to  milk  my  she- 
goats,  and  manage  my  little  flock  in  the  wood,  which,  as  it  was  quite  on  the 
other  part  of  the  island,  was  out  of  danger ;  for  certain  it  is  that  these  savage 
people  who  sometimes  haunted  this  island,  never  came  with  any  thoughts  of  find- 
ing anything  here,  and  consequently  never  wandered  off  from  the  coast,  and  I  doubt 
not  but  they  might  have  been  several  times  on  shore  after  my  apprehensions  of 
them  had  made  me  cautious,  as  well  as  before.  Indeed,  I  looked  back  with  some 
horror  upon  the  thoughts  of  what  my  condition  would  have  been,  if  I  had  dropped 
upon  them  and  been  discovered  before  that ;  when,  naked,  and  unarmed  except 
with  one  gun,  and  that  loaded  often  only  with  small  shot,  I  walked  everywhere, 
peeping  and  peering  about  the  island  to  see  what  I  could  get ;  what  a  surprise 
should  I  have  been  in  if,  when  I  discovered  the  print  of  a  man's  foot,  I  had 
instead  of  that  seen  fifteen  or  twenty  savages,  and  found  them  pursuing  me,  and 
by  the  swiftness  of  their  running,  no  possibility  of  my  escaping  them !  The 
thoughts  of  this  sometimes  sank  my  very  soul  within  me,  and  distressed  my  mind 
so  much  that  I  could  not  soon  recover  it,  to  think  what  I  should  have  done,  and 
how  I  should  not  only  have  been  unable  to  resist  them,  but  even  should  not 
have  had  presence  of  mind  enough  to  do  what  I  might  have  done ;  much  less 
what  now,  after  so  much  consideration  and  preparation,  I  might  be  able  to  do. 
Indeed,  after  serious  thinking  of  these  things,  I  would  be  very  melancholy,  and 
sometimes  it  would  last  a  great  while :  but  I  resolved  it  all,  at  last,  into  thankful- 
ness to  that  Providence  which  had  delivered  me  from  so  many  unseen  dangers, 
and  had  kept  me  from  those  mischiefs  which  I  could  have  no  way  been  the 
agent  in  delivering  myself  from,  because  I  had  not  the  least  notion  of  any  such 
thing  depending,  or  the  least  supposition  of  its  being  possible. 

This  renewed  a  contemplation  which  often  had  come  into  my  thoughts  in 
former  times,  when  first  I  began  to  see  the  merciful  dispositions  of  Heaven,  in  the 
dangers  we  run  through  in  this  life ;    how  wonderfully  we  are  delivered  when  we 


126  Robinson  Crusoe. 

know  nothing  of  it ;  how,  when  we  are  in  a  quandary  (as  we  call  it),  a  doubt  or 
hesitation  whether  to  go  this  way  or  that  way,  a  secret  hint  shall  direct  us  this 
way,  when  we  intended  to  go  that  way :  nay,  when  sense,  our  own  inclination,  and 
perhaps  business,  has  called  us  to  go  the  other  way,  yet  a  strange  impression 
upon  the  mind,  from  we  know  not  what  springs,  and  by  we  know  not  what  power, 
shall  overrule  us  to  go  this  way ;  and  it  shall  afterwards  appear  that  had  we  gone 
that  way  which  we  should  have  gone,  and  even  to  our  imagination  ought  to  have 
gone,  we  should  have  been  ruined  and  lost.  Upon  these,  and  many  like  reflec- 
tions, I  afterwards  made  it  a  certain  rule  with  me,  that  whenever  I  found  those 
secret  hints  or  pressings  of  mind,  to  doing  or  not  doing  anything  that  presented, 
or  going  this  way  or  that  way,  I  never  failed  to  obey  the  secret  dictate ;  though 
I  knew  no  other  reason  for  it  than  that  such  a  pressure,  or  such  a  hint,  hung 
upon  my  mind.  I  could  give  many  examples  of  the  success  of  this  conduct  in 
the  course  of  my  life,  but  more  especially  in  the  latter  part  of  my  inhabiting  this 
unhappy  island ;  besides  many  occasions  which  it  is  very  likely  I  might  have  taken 
notice  of,  if  I  had  seen  with  the  same  eyes  then  that  I  see  with  now.  But  it  is 
never  too  late  to  be  wise  ;  and  I  cannot  but  advise  all  considering  men,  whose 
lives  are  attended  with  such  extraordinary  incidents  as  mine,  or  even  though  not  so 
extraordinary,  not  to  slight  such  secret  intimations  of  Providence,  let  them  come 
from  what  invisible  intelligence  they  will.  That  I  shall  not  discuss,  and  perhaps 
cannot  account  for ;  but  certainly  they  are  a  proof  of  the  converse  of  spirits,  and 
a  secret  communication  between  those  embodied  and  those  unembodied,  and  such 
a  proof  as  can  never  be  withstood  ;  of  which  I  shall  have  occasion  to  give  some 
very  remarkable  instances  in  the  remainder  of  my  solitary  residence  in  this  dismal 
place. 

I  believe  the  reader  of  this  will  not  think  it  strange  if  I  confess  that  these 
anxieties,  these  constant  dangers  I  lived  in,  and  the  concern  that  was  now  upon 
me,  put  an  end  to  all  invention,  and  to  all  the  contrivances  that  I  had  laid  for 
my  future  accommodations  and  conveniences.  I  had  the  care  of  my  safety  more 
now  upon  my  hands  than  that  of  my  food.  I  cared  not  to  drive  a  nail,  or  chop  a 
stick  of  wood  now,  for  fear  the  noise  I  should  make  should  be  heard ;  much  less 
would  I  fire  a  gun  for  the  same  reason :  and,  above  all,  I  was  intolerably  uneasy 
at  making  any  fire,  lest  the  smoke,  which  is  visible  at  a  great  distance  in  the  day, 
should  betray  me.  For  this  reason,  I  removed  that  part  of  my  business  which 
required  fire,  such  as  burning  of  pots  and  pipes,  etc.,  into  my  new  apartment  in 
the  woods ;  where,  after  I  had  been  some  time,  I  found,  to  my  unspeakable  con- 
solation, a  mere  natural  cave  in  the  earth,  Avhich  went  in  a  vast  way,  and  where, 
I  dare  say,  no  savage,  had  he  been  at  the  mouth  of  it,  would  be  so  hardy  as  to 
venture  in ;  nor,  indeed,  would  any  man  else,  but  one  who,  like  me,  wanted  nothing 
so  much  as  a  safe  retreat. 

The  mouth  of  this  hollow  was  at  the  bottom  of  a  great  rock,  where,  by  mere 
accident  (I  would  say,  if  I  did  not  see  abundant  reason  to  ascribe  all  such  things  now 
to  Providence),  I  was  cutting  down  some  thick  branches  of  trees  to  make  char- 
coal ;   and  before  I  go  on  I  must  observe  the  reason  for  my  making  this  charcoal, 


My  Adventure  in  the  Cave.  127 

which  was  thus: — I  was  afraid  of  making  a  smoke  about  my  habitation,  as  I  said 
before,  and  yet  I  could  not  live  there  without  baking  my  bread,  cooking  my  meat, 
etc. ;  so  I  contrived  to  burn  some  wood  here,  as  I  had  seen  done  in  England, 
under  turf,  till  it  became  chark  or  dry  coal ;  and  then  putting  the  fire  out,  I  pre- 
served the  coal  to  carry  home,  and  perform  the  other  services  for  which  fire  was 
wanting,  without  danger  of  smoke.  But  this  is  by  the  bye.  While  I  was  cutting 
down  some  wood  here,  I  perceived  that,  behind  a  very  thick  branch  of  low  brush- 
wood, or  underwood,  there  was  a  kind  of  hollow  place :  I  was  curious  to  look  in 
it ;  and  getting  with  difficulty  into  the  mouth  of  it,  I  found  it  was  pretty  large, 
that  is  to  say,  sufficient  for  me  to  stand  upright  in  it,  and  perhaps  another  with 
me ;  but  I  must  confess  to  you  that  I  made  more  haste  out  than  I  did  in  when, 
looking  farther  into  the  place,  and  which  was  perfectly  dark,  I  saw  two  broad 
shining  eyes  of  some  creature — whether  devil  or  man  I  knew  not — which  twinkled 
like  two  stars ;  the  dim  light  from  the  cave's  mouth  shining  directly  in,  and 
making  the  reflection.  However,  after  some  pause,  I  recovered  myself,  and  began 
to  call  myself  a  thousand  fools,  and  to  think  that  he  that  was  afraid  to  see  the 
devil  was  not  fit  to  live  twenty  years  in  an  island  all  alone ;  and  that  I  might 
well  think  there  was  nothing  in  this  cave  that  was  more  frightful  than  myself. 
Upon  this,  plucking  up  my  courage,  I  took  up  a  firebrand,  and  in  I  rushed  again, 
with  the  stick  flaming  in  my  hand.  I  had  not  gone  three  steps  in  before  I  was 
almost  as  much  frightened  as  before  ;  for  I  heard  a  very  loud  sigh,  like  that  of  a 
man  in  some  pain,  and  it  was  followed  by  a  broken  noise,  as  of  words  half  ex- 
pressed, and  then  a  deep  sigh  again.  I  stepped  back,  and  was  indeed  struck  with 
such  a  surprise  that  it  put  me  into  a  cold  sweat,  and  if  I  had  had  a  hat  on  my 
head,  I  will  not  answer  for  it  that  my  hair  might  not  have  lifted  it  off.  But  still 
plucking  up  my  spirits  as  well  as  I  could,  and  encouraging  myself  a  little  with 
considering  that  the  power  and  presence  of  God  was  everywhere,  and  was  able  to 
protect  me,  I  stepped  forward  again,  and  by  the  light  of  the  firebrand,  holding  it 
up  a  little  over  my  head,  I  saw  lying  on  the  ground  a  monstrous,  frightful  old 
he-goat,  just  making  his  will,  as  we  say,  and  gasping  for  life,  and  dying  indeed, 
of  mere  old  age.  I  stirred  him  a  little  to  see  if  I  could  get  him  out,  and  he 
essayed  to  get  up,  but  was  not  able  to  raise  himself ;  and  I  thought  with  myself 
he  might  even  lie  there ;  for  if  he  had  frightened  me,  so  he  would  certainly 
fright  any  of  the  savages,  if  any  one  of  them  should  be  so  hardy  as  to  come  in 
there  while  he  had  any  life  in  him. 

I  was  now  recovered  from  my  surprise,  and  began  to  look  round  me,  when 
I  found  the  cave  was  but  very  small,  that  is  to  say,  it  might  be  about  twelve 
feet  over,  but  in  no  manner  of  shape,  neither  round  nor  square,  no  hands  having 
ever  been  employed  in  making  it  but  those  of  mere  nature.  I  observed  also 
that  there  was  a  place  at  the  farther  side  of  it  that  went  in  farther,  but  was  so 
low  that  it  required  me  to  creep  upon  my  hands  and  knees  to  go  into  it,  and 
whither  it  went  I  knew  not ;  so,  having  no  candle,  I  gave  it  over  for  that  time, 
but  resolved  to  come  again  the  next  day  provided  with  candles  and  a  tinder-box, 
which  I  had  made  of  the  lock  of  one  of  the  muskets,  with  some  wildfire  in  the  pan. 


128 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


Accordingly,  the  next  day  I  came  provided  with 
six  large  candles  of  my  own  making  (for   I   made 
very  good  candles  now  of  goats'  tallow,  but  was 
hard  set  for  candle-wick,  using  sometimes  rags 
and  sometimes  the  dried  rind 
like  nettles) ;    and  going  into 
place  I  was  obliged  to   creep 
all-fours,  as  I  have  said,  almost 
yards — which,  by    the  way,   I 
thought      was     adventure      bold 
enough,  considering  that  I  knew 
not  how  far  it  might  go,  nor 
what  was  beyond  it.    When 
I    had    got   through    the 
strait,    I    found   the  roof 
rose  higher  up — I  believe 
near    twenty    feet ;     but 
never  was  such  a  glorious 
sight  seen  in  the  island, 
I  dare  say,  as  it  was  to 
|  look  round  the  sides  and 

roof    of     this    vault     or 
B I  cave  ;  the  wall  reflected  a 

hundred  thousand  lights 
to  me  from  my  two 
candles.  What  it  was  m 
the  rock  —  whether  dia- 
monds, or  any  other  pre- 
cious stones,  or  gold — 
which  I  rather  supposed 
it  to  be  —  I  knew  not. 
The  place  I  was  in  was 
a  most  delightful  cavity, 
or  grotto,  though  per- 
fectly dark ;  the  floor 
was  dry  and  level,  and 
had  a  sort  of  a  small 
loose  gravel  upon  it, 
so  that  there  was  no 
nauseous  or  venomous 
creature  to  be  seen,  neither  was  there  any  damp  or  wet  on  the  sides  or  roof; 
the  only  difficulty  in  it  was  the  entrance  —  which,  however,  as  it  was  a  place 
of  security,  and  such  a  retreat  as  I  wanted,  I  thought  was  a  convenience  — 
so    that    I    was    really   rejoiced    at    the    discovery,    and    resolved,    without    any 


I    STIRRED    HIM    A    LITTLE"   {p.    127). 


A  State  of  Siege.  129 

delay,  to  bring  some  .of  those  things  which  I  was  most  anxious  about  to  this 
place ;  particularly,  I  resolved  to  bring  hither  my  magazine  of  powder,  and  all  my 
spare  arms — viz.,  two  fowling-pieces,  for  I  had  three  in  all ;  and  three  muskets, 
for  of  them  I  had  eight  in  all ;  so  I  kept  in  my  castle  only  five,  which  stood 
ready  mounted  like  pieces  of  cannon  on  my  outmost  defense,  and  were  ready  also 
to  take  out  upon  any  expedition.  Upon  this  occasion  of  removing  my  ammuni- 
tion, I  happened  to  open  the  barrel  of  powder  which  I  took  up  out  of  the  sea, 
and  which  had  been  wet,  and  I  found  that  the  water  had  penetrated  about  three  or 
four  inches  into  the  powder  on  every  side,  which,  caking  and  growing  hard,  had 
preserved  the  inside  like  a  kernel  in  a  shell,  so  that  I  had  near  sixty  pounds  of  very 
good  powder  in  the  center  of  the  cask  ;  and  this  was  a  very  agreeable  discovery  to  me 
at  that  time ;  so  I  carried  all  away  thither,  never  keeping  above  two  or  three  pounds 
of  powder  with  me  in  my  castle,  for  fear  of  a  surprise  of  any  kind.  I  also  carried 
thither  all  the  lead  I  had  left  for  bullets. 

I  fancied  myself  now  like  one  of  the  ancient  giants  who  were  said  to  live  in 
caves  and  holes  in  the  rocks,  where  none  could  come  at  them ;  for  I  persuaded 
myself,  while  I  was  here,  that  if  five  hundred  savages  were  to  hunt  me,  they  could 
never  find  me  out, — or  if  they  did,  they  would  not  venture  to  attack  me  here.  The 
old  goat  whom  I  found  expiring  died  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave  the  next  day  after  I 
made  this  discovery ;  and  I  found  it  much  easier  to  dig  a  great  hole  there,  and 
throw  him  in  and  cover  him  with  earth,  than  to  drag  him  out :  so  I  interred  him 
there,  to  prevent  offense  to  my  nose. 

I  was  now  in  the  twenty-third  year  of  residence  in  this  island,  and  was  so 
naturalized  to  the  place  and  the  manner  of  living  that,  could  I  but  have  enjoyed 
the  certainty  that  no  savages  would  come  to  the  place  to  disturb  me,  I  could 
have  been  content  to  have  capitulated  for  spending  the  rest  of  my  time  there, 
even  to  the  last  moment,  till  I  had  laid  me  down  and  died,  like  the  old  goat 
in  the  cave.  I  had  also  arrived  to  some  little  diversions  and  amusements,  which 
made  the  time  pass  more  pleasantly  with  me  a  great  deal  than  it  did  before : 
first,  I  had  taught  my  Poll,  as  I  noted  before,  to  speak ;  and  he  did  it  so 
familiarly,  and  talked  so  articulately  and  plain,  that  it  was  very  pleasant  to  me, 
and  he  lived  with  me  no  less  than  six-and-twenty  years.  How  long  he  might 
have  lived  afterwards  I  know  not,  though  I  know  they  have  a  notion  in  the 
Brazils  that  they  live  a  hundred  years.  Perhaps  some  of  my  Polls  may  be  alive 
there  still,  calling  after  poor  Robinson  Crusoe  to  this  day :  I  wish  no  Englishman 
the  ill-luck  to  come  there  and  hear  them ;  but  if  he  did  he  would  certainly 
believe  it  was  the  devil.  My  dog  was  a  pleasant  and  loving  companion  to  me 
for  no  less  than  sixteen  years  of  my  time,  and  then  died  of  mere  old  age. 
As  for  my  cats,  they  multiplied,  as  I  have  observed,  to  that  degree,  that  I  was 
obliged  to  shoot  several  of  them  at  first,  to  keep  them  from  devouring  me  and  all  I 
had  ;  but  at  length,  when  the  old  ones  I  brought  with  me  were  gone,  and  after  some 
time  continually  driving  them  from  me,  and  letting  them  have  no  provision  with 
me,  they  all  ran  wild  into  the  woods,  except  two  or  three  favorites,  which  I  kept 
tame,  and  whose  young,  when  they  had  any,  I  always  drowned ;   and  these  were 


130  Robinson  Crusoe. 

part  of  my  family.  Besides  these  I  always  kept  two  or  three  household  kids 
about  me,  whom  I  taught  to  feed  out  of  my  hand ;  and  I  had  two  more  parrots, 
which  talked  pretty  well,  and  would  all  call  "  Robin  Crusoe,"  but  none  like  my 
first ;  nor,  indeed,  did  I  take  the  pains  with  any  of  them  that  I  had  done  with 
him.  I  had  also  several  tame  sea-fowls,  whose  name  I  knew  not,  that  I  caught 
upon  the  shore,  and  cut  their  wings ;  and  the  little  stakes  which  I  had  planted 
before  my  castle-wall  being  now  grown  up  to  a  good  thick  grove,  these  fowls  all 
lived  among  these  low  trees,  and  bred  there,  which  was  very  agreeable  to  me ; 
so  that,  as  I  said  above,  I  began  to  be  very  well  contented  with  the  life  I  led, 
•if  I  could  have  been  secured  from  the  dread  of  the  savages.  But  it  was  other- 
wise directed ;  and  it  may  not  be  amiss  for  all  people  who  shall  meet  with  my 
story  to  make  this  just  observation  from  it :  viz.,  how  frequently,  in  the  course  of  our 
fives,  the  evil  which  in  itself  we  seek  most  to  shun,  and  which,  when  we  are  fallen 
into,  is  the  most  dreadful  to  us,  is  oftentimes  the  very  means  or  door  of  our  deliver- 
ance, by  which  alone  we  can  be  raised  again  from  the  affliction  we  are  fallen  into. 
I  could  give  many  examples  of  this  in  the  course  of  my  unaccountable  life,  but  in 
nothing  was  it  more  particularly  remarkable  than  in  the  circumstances  of  my  last 
years  of  solitary  residence  in  this  island. 

It  was  now  the  month  of  December,  as  I  said  above,  in  my  twenty-third  year; 
and  this,  being  the  southern  solstice  (for  winter  I  cannot  call  it),  was  the  particular 
time  of  my  harvest,  and  required  me  to  be  pretty  much  abroad  in  the  fields,  when, 
going  out  pretty  early  in  the  morning,  even  before  it  was  thorough  daylight,  I  was 
surprised  with  seeing  a  light  of  some  fire  upon  the  shore  at  a  distance  from  me  of 
about  two  miles  towards  the  end  of  the  island  where  I  had  observed  some  savages 
had  been,  as  before,  and  not  on  the  other  side,  but,  to  my  great  affliction,  it  was  on 
my  side  of  the  island. 

I  was  indeed  terribly  surprised  at  the  sight,  and  stopped  short  within  my  grove, 
not  daring  to  go  out,  lest  I  might  be  surprised ;  and  yet  I  had  no  more  peace  within, 
from  the  apprehensions  I  had  that  if  these  savages,  in  rambling  over  the  island,  should 
find  my  corn  standing  or  cut,  or  any  of  my  works  and  improvements,  they  would 
immediately  conclude  that  there  were  people  in  the  place,  and  would  then  never  rest 
till  they  had  found  me  out.  In  this  extremity  I  went  back  directly  to  my  castle,  and 
pulled  up  the  ladder  after  me,  having  made  all  things  without  look  as  wild  and  natural 
as  I  could. 

Then  I  prepared  myself  within,  putting  myself  in  a  posture  of  defense ;  I  loaded 
all  my  cannon,  as  I  called  them — that  is  to  say,  my  muskets,  which  were  mounted 
upon  my  new  fortification,  and  all  my  pistols,  and  resolved  to  defend  myself  to  the 
last  gasp — not  forgetting  seriously  to  commend  myself  to  the  Divine  protection,  and 
earnestly  to  pray  to  God  to  deliver  me  out  of  the  hands  of  the  barbarians.  And 
in  this  posture  I  continued  about  two  hours,  and  began  to  be  impatient  for  intelli- 
gence abroad,  for  I  had  no  spies  to  send  out.  After  sitting  awhile  longer,  and 
musing  what  I  should  do  in  this  case,  I  was  not  able  to  bear  sitting  in  ignorance 
any  longer;  so  setting  up  my  ladder  to  the  side  of  the  hill,  where  there  was  a 
fiat  place,  as  I  observed  before,  and  then  pulling  the  ladder  after  me,  I  set  it  up 


A    Visit  from  the  Savages.  131 

again,  and  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  pulling  out  my  perspective  glass, 
which  I  had  taken  on  purpose,  I  laid  me  down  flat  on  my  belly  on  the  ground, 
and  began  to  look  for  the  place.  I  presently  found  there  were  no  less  than  nine 
naked  savages  sitting  round  a  small  fire  they  had  made,  not  to  warm  them,  for  they 
had  no  need  of  that,  the  weather  being  extremely  hot,  but,  as  I  supposed,  to  dress 
some  of  their  barbarous  diet  of  human  flesh  which  they  had  brought  with  them, 
whether  alive  or  dead  I  could  not  know. 

They  had  two  canoes  with  them,  which  they  had  hauled  up  on  the  shore ; 
and  as  it  was  then  ebb  of  tide,  they  seemed  to  me  to  wait  the  return  of  the  flood 
to  go  away  again.  It  is  not  easy  to  imagine  what  confusion  this  sight  put  me 
into,  especially  seeing  them  come  on  my  side  of  the  island,  and  so  near  me,  too  -r 
but  when  I  considered  their  coming  must  be  always  with  the  current  of  the  ebb,  I 
began  afterwards  to  be  more  sedate  in  my  mind,  being  satisfied  that  I  might  go 
abroad  with  safety  all  the  time  of  the  flood  of  tide,  if  they  were  not  on  shore 
before ;  and  having  made  this  observation,  I  went  abroad  about  my  harvest  work 
with  the  more  composure. 

As  I  expected,  so  it  proved ;  for,  as  soon  as  the  tide  made  to  the  westward,  I 
saw  them  all  take  boat  and  row  (or  paddle,  as  we  call  it)  away.  I  should  have 
observed,  that  for  .an  hour  or  more  before  they  went  off  they  were  dancing,  and  I 
could  easily  discern  their  postures  and  gestures  by  my  glass.  I  could  not  perceive, 
by  my  nicest  observation,  but  that  they  were  stark  naked,  and  had  not  the  least 
covering  upon  them  ;   but  whether  they  were  men  or  women,  I  could  not  distinguish. 

As  soon  as  I  saw  them  shipped  and  gone,  I  took  two  guns  upon  my  shoulders, 
and  two  pistols  in  my  girdle,  and  my  great  sword  by  my  side,  without  a  scabbard, 
and  with  all  the  speed  I  was  able  to  make  went  away  to  the  hill  where  I  had 
discovered  the  first  appearance  of  all ;  and  as  soon  as  I  got  thither,  which  was 
not  in  less  than  two  hours  (for  I  could  not  go  apace,  being  so  loaded  with  arms 
as  I  was),  I  perceived  there  had  been  three  canoes  more  of  savages  at  that  place; 
and,  looking  out  farther,  I  saw  they  were  all  at  sea  together,  making  over  for  the 
main.  This  was  a  dreadful  sight  to  me,  especially  when,  going  down  to  the 
shore,  I  could  see  the  marks  of  horror  which  the  dismal  work  they  had  been 
about  had  left  behind  it,  viz.,  the  blood,  the  bones,  and  part  of  the  flesh  of 
human  bodies  eaten  and  devoured  by  those  wretches  with  merriment  and  sport. 
I  was  so  filled  with  indignation  at  the  sight,  that  I  now  began  to  premeditate 
the  destruction  of  the  next  that  I  saw  there,  let  them  be  whom  or  how  many 
soever.  It  seemed  evident  to  me  that  the  visits  which  they  made  thus  to  this 
island  were  not  very  frequent,  for  it  was  above  fifteen  months  before  any  more 
of  them  came  on  shore  there  again — that  is  to  say,  I  neither  saw  them  nor  any 
footsteps  or  signals  of  them  in  all  that  time  ;  for  as  to  the  rainy  seasons,  then 
they  are  sure  not  to  come  abroad,  at  least  not  so  far :  yet  all  this  while  I  lived 
uncomfortably,  by  reason  of  the  constant  apprehensions  of  their  coming  upon  me 
by  surprise — from  whence  I  observe  that  the  expectation  of  evil  is  more  bitter 
than  the  suffering,  especially  if  there  is  no  room  to  shake  off  that  expectation  or 
those  apprehensions. 


132 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


During  all  this  time  I  was  in  the  murdering  humor,  and  spent  most  of  my 
hours,  which  should  have  been  better  employed,  in  contriving  how  to  circumvent 
and  fall  upon  them  the  very  next  time  I  should  see  them — especially  if  they  should 
be  divided,  as  they  were  the  last  time,  into  two  parties ;  nor  did  I  consider  at  all 
that  if  I  killed  one  party — suppose  ten  or  a  dozen — I  was  still  the  next  day,  or 
week,  or  month,  to  kill  another,  and  so  another,  even  ad  infinitum,  till  I  should 
be,  at  length,  no  less  a  murderer  than '  they  were  in  being  man-eaters — and  perhaps 
much  more  so.  I  spent  my  days  now  in  great  perplexity  and  anxiety  of  mind, 
expecting  that  I   should   one  day  or  other  fall  into  the   hands  of  these  merciless 


-W 


wc 


"a  light  of  some  fire  upon  the  shore"  {p.  130). 


creatures ;  and  if  I  did  at  any  time  venture  abroad,  it  was  not  without  looking 
around  me  with  the  greatest  care  and  caution  imaginable.  And  now  I  found,  to 
my  great  comfort,  how  happy  it  was  that  I  had  provided  a  tame  flock  or  herd 
of  goats ;  for  I  durst  not  upon  any  account  fire  my  gun,  especially  near  that  side 
of  the  island  where  they  usually  came,  lest  I  should  alarm  the  savages;  and  if 
they  had  fled  from  me  now,  I  was  sure  to  have  them  come  again  with  perhaps 
two  or  three  hundred  canoes  with  them  in  a  few  days,  and  then  I  knew  what  to 
expect.  However,  I  wore  out  a  year  and  three  months  more  before  I  ever  saw 
any  more  of  these  savages,  and  then  I  found  them  again,  as  I  shall  soon  observe. 
It  is  true  they  might  have  been  there  once  or  twice,  but  either  they  made  no  stay, 
or  at  least  I  did  not  hear  them ;  but  in  the  month  of  May,  as  near  as  I  could 
calculate,  and  in  my  four-and-twentieth  year,  I  had  a  very  strange  encounter  with 
them  ;    of  which  in  its  place. 


Sounds  of  a  Ship  in  Distress.  133 

The  perturbation  of  my  mind  during  this  fifteen  or  sixteen  months'  interval 
was  very  great ;  I  slept  unquietly,  dreamed  always  frightful  dreams,  and  often 
started  out  of  my  sleep  in  the  night.  In  the  day,  great  troubles  overwhelmed 
my  mind ;  and  in  the  night,  I  dreamed  often  of  killing  the  savages  and  of  the 
reasons  why  I  might  justify  the  doing  of  it.  But  to  waive  all  this  for  awhile. 
It  was  in  the  middle  of  May,  on  the  sixteenth  day,  I  think,  as  well  as  my  poor 
wooden  calendar  would  reckon,  for  I  marked  all  upon  the  post  still — I  say,  it 
was  on  the  sixteenth  of  May  that  it  blew  a  very  great  storm  of  wind  all  day, 
with  a  great  deal  of  lightning  and  thunder,  and  a  very  foul  night  it  was  after  it. 
I  knew  not  what  was  the  particular  occasion  of  it ;  but  as  I  was  reading  in  the 
Bible,  and  taken  up  with  very  serious  thoughts  about  my  present  condition,  I 
was  surprised  with  the  noise  of  a  gun,  as  I  thought,  fired  at  sea.  This  was,  to 
be  sure,  a  surprise  of  a  quite  different  nature  from  any  I  had  met  with  before ; 
for  the  notions  this  put  into  my  thoughts  were  quite  of  another  kind.  I  started 
up  in  the  greatest  haste  imaginable ;  and,  in  a  trice,  clapped  my  ladder  to  the 
middle  place  of  the  rock,  and  pulled  it  after  me  ;  and,  mounting  it  the  second 
time,  got  to  the  top  of  the  hill  the  very  moment  that  a  flash  of  fire  bade  me 
listen  for  a  second  gun,  which,  accordingly,  in  about  half  a  minute,  I  heard ; 
and  by  the  sound,  knew  that  it  was  from  that  part  of  the  sea  where  I  was 
driven  out  with  the  current  in  my  boat.  I  immediately  considered  that  this 
must  be  some  ship  in  distress,  and  that  they  had  some  comrade,  or  some  other 
ship  in  company,  and  fired  these  for  signals  of  distress,  and  to  obtain  help.  I 
had  the  presence  of  mind,  at  that  minute,  to  think  that  though  I  could  not  help 
them,  it  might  be  they  might  help  me ;  so  I  brought  together  all  the  dry  wood 
I  could  get  at  hand,  and,  making  a  good  handsome  pile,  I  set  it  on  fire  upon 
the  hill.  The  wood  was  dry,  and  blazed  freely ;  and  though  the  wind  blew  very 
hard,  yet  it  burned  fairly  out,  so  that  I  was  certain,  if  there  was  any  such  thing 
as  a  ship,  they  must  needs  see  it,  and  no  doubt  they  did ;  for  as  soon  as  ever 
my  fire  blazed  up,  I  heard  another  gun,  and  after  that  several  others,  all  from 
the  same  quarter.  I  plied  my  fire  all  night  long,  till  daybreak ;  and  when  it 
was  broad  day,  and  the  air  cleared  up,  I  saw  something  at  a  great  distance  at 
sea,  full  east  of  the  island,  whether  a  sail  or  a  hull  I  could  not  distinguish — no, 
not  with  my  glass ;  the  distance  was  so  great,  and  the  weather  still  something 
hazy  also — at  least,  it  was  so  out  at  sea. 

I  looked  frequently  at  it  all  that  day,  and  soon  perceived  that  it  did  not 
move ;  so  I  presently  concluded  that  it  was  a  ship  at  anchor ;  and  being  eager, 
you  may  be  sure,  to  be  satisfied,  I  took  my  gun  in  my  hand,  and  ran  towards 
the  south  side  of  the  island,  to  the  rocks  where  I  had  formerly  been  carried  away 
with  the  current ;  and  getting  up  there,  the  weather  by  this  time  being  perfectly 
clear,  I  could  plainly  see,  to  my  great  sorrow,  the  wreck  of  a  ship,  cast  away  in 
the  night  upon  those  concealed  rocks  which  I  found  when  I  was  out  in  my  boat ; 
and  which  rocks,  as  they  checked  the  violence  of  the  stream,  and  made  a  kind  of 
counter-stream  or  eddy,  weie  the  occasion  of  my  recovering  from  the  most 
desperate,  hopeless  condition  that  ever  I  had  been  in  in  all  my  life.     Thus,  what 


134  Robinson  Crusoe. 

is  one  man's  safety  is  another  man's  destruction ;  for  it  seems  these  men,  whoever 
they  were,  being  out  of  their  knowledge,  and  the  rocks  being  wholly  under  water, 
had  been  driven  upon  them  in  the  night,  the  wind  blowing  hard  at  E.  and  E.N.E. 
Had  they  seen  the  island,  as  I  must  necessarily  suppose  they  did  not,  they  must, 
as  I  thought,  have  endeavored  to  have  saved  themselves  on  shore  by  the  help  of 
their  boat ;  but  their  firing  off  their  guns  for  help,  especially  when  they  saw,  as  I 
imagined,  my  fire,  filled  me  with  many  thoughts.  First,  I  imagined  that  upon 
seeing  my  light  they  might  have  put  themselves  into  their  boat,  and  endeavored 
to  make  the  shore  ;  but  that  the  sea  running  very  high,  they  might  have  been  cast 
away.  Other  times,  I  imagined  that  they  might  have  lost  their  boat  before,  as 
might  be  the  case  many  ways ;  as  particularly  by  the  breaking  of  the  sea  upon 
their  ship,  which  many  times  obliged  men  to  stave,  or  take  in  pieces,  their  boat, 
and  sometimes  to  throw  it  overboard  with  their  own  hands.  Other  times,  I 
imagined  they  had  some  other  ship  or  ships  in  company,  who,  upon  the  signals 
of  distress  they  made,  had  taken  them  up,  and  carried  them  off.  Other  times,  I 
fancied  they  were  all  gone  off  to  sea  in  their  boat,  and  being  hurried  away  by  the 
current  that  I  had  been  formerly  in,  were  earned  out  into  the  great  ocean,  where 
there  was  nothing  but  misery  and  perishing ;  and  that,  perhaps,  they  might  by  this 
time  think  of  starving,  and  of  being  in  a  condition  to  eat  one  another. 

As  all  these  were  but  conjectures  at  best,  so,  in  the  condition  I  was  in,  I 
could  do  no  more  than  look  on,  upon  the  misery  of  the  poor  men,  and  pity  them ; 
which  had  still  this  good  effect  upon  my  side,  that  it  gave  me  more  and  more 
cause  to  give  thanks  to  God,  who  had  so  happily  and  comfortably  provided  for 
me  in  my  desolate  condition ;  and  that  of  two  ship's  companies,  who  were  now 
cast  away  upon  this  part  of  the  world,  not  one  life  should  be  spared  but  mine. 
I  learned  here  again  to  observe  that  it  is  very  rare  that  the  providence  of  God 
casts  us  into  any  condition  of  life  so  low,  or  any  misery  so  great,  but  we  may 
see  something  or  other  to  be  thankful  for,  and  may  see  others  in  worse  circum- 
stances than  our  own.  Such  certainly  was  the  case  of  these  men,  of  whom  I 
could  not  so  much  as  see  room  to  suppose  any  of  them  were  saved ;  nothing 
could  make  it  rational  so  much  as  to  wish  or  expect  that  they  did  not  all  perish 
there,  except  the  possibility  only  of  their  being  taken  up  by  another  ship  in  com- 
pany ;  and  this  was  but  mere  possibility  indeed,  for  I  saw  not  the  least  signal, 
or  appearance  of  any  such  thing.  I  cannot  explain,  by  any  possible  energy  of 
words,  what  a  strange  longing  I  felt  in  my  soul  upon  this  sight,  breaking  out 
sometimes  thus: — "Oh,  that  there  had  been  but  one  or  two,  nay,  or  but  one 
soul,  saved  out  of  this  ship,  to  have  escaped  to  me,  that  I  might  but  have  had 
one  companion,  one  fellow-creature,  to  have  spoken  to  me  and  to  have  conversed 
with  !  "  In  all  the  time  of  my  solitary  life,  I  never  felt  so  earnest,  so  strong  a 
desire  after  the  society  of  my  fellow-creatures,  or  so  deep  a  regret  at  the  want 
of  it. 

There  are  some  secret  moving  springs  in  the  affections,  which,  when  they  are 
set  agoing  by  some  object  in  view,  or,  though  not  in  view,  yet  rendered  present 
to  the  mind  by  the  power  of  imagination,  that  motion  carries  out  the  soul,  by  its 


/  Visit  the  Spanish  Wreck.  135 

impetuosity,  to  such  violent,  eager  embracings  of  the  object  that  the  absence  of 
it  is  insupportable.  Such  were  these  earnest  wishings  that  but  one  man  had  been 
saved.  I  believe  I  repeated  the  words,  "  Oh,  that  it  had  been  but  one !  "  a 
thousand  times ;  and  my  desires  were  so  moved  by  it,  that  when  I  spoke  the 
words  my  hands  would  clench  together,  and  my  fingers  would  press  the  palms  of 
my  hands,  so  that  if  I  had  had  any  soft  thing  in  my  hand,  I  would  have  crushed 
it  involuntarily ;  and  my  teeth  in  my  head  would  strike  together,  and  set  against 
one  another  so  strong,  that  for  some  time  I  could  not  part  them  again.  Let  the 
naturalists  explain  these  things,  and  the  reason  and  manner  of  them.  All  I  can 
say  of  them  is,  to  describe  the  fact, .  which  was  even  surprising  to  me,  when  I 
found  it,  though  I  knew  not  from  what  it  should  proceed ;  it  was,  doubtless,  the 
effect  of  ardent  wishes,  and  of  strong  ideas  formed  in  my  mind,  realizing  the  com- 
fort which  the  conversation  of  one  of  my  fellow- Christians  would  have  been  to  me. 
But  it  was  not  to  be ;  either  their  fate,  or  mine,  or  both,  forbade  it,  for  till  the 
last  year  of  my  being  on  this  island,  I  never  knew  whether  any  were  saved  out  of 
that  ship  or  no ;  and  had  only  the  affliction,  some  days  after,  to  see  the  corpse  of 
a  drowned  boy  come  on  shore  at  the  end  of  the  island  which  was  next  the  ship- 
wreck. He  had  no  clothes  on  but  a  seaman's  waistcoat,  a  pair  of  open-kneed 
linen  drawers,  and  a  blue  linen  shirt ;  but  nothing  to  direct  me  so  much  as  to 
guess  what  nation  he  was  of.  He  had  nothing  in  his  pockets  but  two  pieces  of 
eight  and  a  tobacco-pipe — the  last  was  to  me  of  ten  times  more  value  than  the 
first. 

It  was  now  calm,  and  I  had  a  great  mind  to  venture  out  in  my  boat  to  this 
wreck,  not  doubting  but  I  might  find  something  on  board  that  might  be  useful  to 
me.  But  that  did  not  altogether  press  me  so  much  as  the  possibility  that  there 
might  be  yet  some  living  creature  on  board,  whose  life  I  might  not  only  save, 
but  might,  by  saving  that  life,  comfort  my  own  to  the  last  degree ;  and  this 
thought  clung  so  to  my  heart  that  I  could  not  be  quiet  night  or  day,  but  I  must 
venture  out  in  my  boat  on  board  this  wreck ;  and  committing  the  rest  to  God's 
providence,  I  thought  the  impression  was  so  strong  upon  my  mind  that  it  could 
not  be  resisted,  that  it  must  come  from  some  invisible  direction,  and  that  I  should 
be  wanting  to  myself  if  I  did  not  go. 

Under  the  power  of  this  impression,  I  hastened  back  to  my  castle,  prepared 
everything  for  my  voyage,  took  a  quantity  of  bread,  a  great  pot  for  fresh  water,  a 
compass  to  steer  by,  a  bottle  of  rum  (for  I  had  still  a  great  deal  of  that  left), 
and  a  basket  of  raisins ;  and  thus  loading  myself  with  everything  necessary,  I  went 
down  to  my  boat,  got  the  water  out  of  her,  got  her  afloat,  loaded  all  my  cargo  in 
her,  and  then  went  home  again  for  more.  My  second  cargo  was  a  great  bag  full 
of  rice,  the  umbrella  to  set  up  over  my  head  for  a  shade,  another  large  pot  full 
of  fresh  water,  and  about  two  dozen  of  small  loaves,  or  barley-cakes,  more  than 
before,  with  a  bottle  of  goat's-milk,  and  a  cheese :  all  which  with  great  labor  and 
sweat  I  brought  to  my  boat ;  and  praying  to  God  to  direct  my  voyage,  I  put  out, 
and  rowing  or  paddling  the  canoe  along  the  shore,  came  at  last  to  the  utmost 
point  of  the  island  on  the  north-east  side.     And   now   I  was   to   launch   out  into 


136  Robinson  Crusoe. 

the  ocean,  and  either  to  venture  or  not  to  venture.  I  looked  on  the  rapid 
currents  which  ran  constantly  on  both  sides  of  the  island  at  a  distance,  and  which 
were  very  terrible  to  me,  from  the  remembrance  of  the  hazard  I  had  been  in 
before,  and  my  heart  began  to  fail  me ;  for  I  foresaw  that  if  I  was  driven  into  either 
of  those  currents,  I  should  be  carried  a  great  way  out  to  sea,  and  perhaps  out  of 
my  reach  or  sight  of  the  island  again ;  and  that  then,  as  my  boat  was  but  small,  if 
any  little  gale  of  wind  should  rise,  I  should  be  inevitably  lost. 

These  thoughts  so  oppressed  my  mind  that  I  began  to  give  over  my  enterprise ; 
and  having  hauled  my  boat  into  a  little  creek  on  the  shore,  I  stepped  out,  and 
sat  down  upon  a  rising  bit  of  ground,  very  pensive  and  anxious,  between  fear  and 
desire,  about  my  voyage ;  when,  as  I  was  musing,  I  could  perceive  that  the  tide 
was  turned,  and  the  flood  came  on  ;  upon  which,  my  going  was  impracticable  for 
so  many  hours.  Upon  this,  presently  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  should  go  up  to 
the  highest  piece  of  ground  I  could  find,  and  observe,  if  I  could,  how  the  sets  of  the 
tide  or  currents  lay,  when  the  flood  came  in,  that  I  might  judge  whether,  if  I  was 
driven  one  way  out,  I  might  not  expect  to  be  driven  another  way  home,  with  the 
same  rapidity  of  the  currents.  This  thought  was  no  sooner  in  my  head  than  I 
cast  my  eye  upon  a  little  hill,  which  sufficiently  overlooked  the  sea  both  ways,  and 
from  whence  I  had  a  clear  view  of  the  currents,  or  sets  of  the  tide,  and  which 
way  I  was  to  guide  myself  in  my  return.  Here  I  found  that  as  the  current 
of  ebb  set  out  close  by  the  south  point  of  the  island,  so  the  current  of  the  flood 
set  in  close  by  the  shore  of  the  north  side  ;  and  that  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to 
keep  to  the  north  of  the  island  in  my  return,  and  I  should  do  well  enough. 

Encouraged  with  this  observation,  I  resolved,  the  next  morning,  to  set  out  with 
the  first  of  the  tide ;  and  reposing  myself  for  the  night  in  my  canoe,  under  the 
great  watch-coat  I  mentioned,  I  launched  out.  I  first  made  a  little  out  to  sea, 
full  north,  till  I  began  to  feel  the  benefit  of  the  current,  which  set  eastward,  and  which 
carried  me  at  a  great  rate,  and  yet  did  not  so  hurry  me  as  the  current  on  the  south 
side  had  done  before,  so  as  to  take  from  me  all  government  of  the  boat ;  but  having  a 
strong  steerage  with  my  paddle,  I  went,  at  a  great  rate,  directly  for  the  wreck,  and  in 
less  than  two  hours  I  came  up  to  it.  It  was  a  dismal  sight  to  look  at :  the  ship, 
which  by  its  building  was  Spanish,  stuck  fast,  jammed  in  between  two  rocks :  all 
the  stern  and  quarter  of  her  were  beaten  to  pieces  by  the  sea ;  and  as  her  fore- 
castle, which  stuck  in  the  rocks,  had  run  on  with  great  violence,  her  mainmast 
and  foremast  were  brought  by  the  board,  that  is  to  say,  broken  short  off ;  but  her 
bowsprit  was  sound,  and  the  head  and  bow  appeared  firm.  When  I  came  close 
to  her,  a  dog  appeared  upon  her,  who,  seeing  me  coming,  yelped  and  cried ;  and, 
as  soon  as  I  called  him,  jumped  into  the  sea  to  come  to  me :  I  took  him  into 
the  boat,  but  found  him  almost  dead  with  hunger  and  thirst.  I  gave  him  a  cake 
of  my  bread,  and  he  devoured  it  like  a  ravenous  wolf  that  had  been  starving  a 
fortnight  in  the  snow ;  I  then  gave  the  poor  creature  some  fresh  water,  with 
which,  if  I  would  have  let  him,  he  would  have  burst  himself.  After  this  I  went 
on  board ;  but  the  first  sight  I  met  with  was  two  men  drowned  in  the  cook-room, 
or  forecastle  of  the  ship,  with  their  arms  fast  about  one  another.     I   concluded, 


Salvage  from  the  Wreck. 


137 


as  is  indeed  probable,  that  when  the  ship  struck,  it  being  in  a  storm,  the  sea  broke 
so  high,  and  so  continually  over  her,  that  the  men  were  not  able  to  bear  it,  and 
were  strangled  with  the  constant  rushing  in  of  the  water,  as  much  as  if  they  had 
been  under  water.  Besides  the  dog,  there  was  nothing  left  in  the  ship  that  had 
life ;  nor  any  goods  that  I  could  see,  but  what  were  spoiled  by  the  water.  There 
were  some  casks  of  liquor,  whether  wine  or  brandy  I  knew  not,  which  lay  lower 
in  the  hold,  and  which,  the  water  being  ebbed  out,  I  could  see ;  but  they  were 
too  big  to  meddle  with.     I  saw  several  chests,  which  I  believed  belonged  to  some 


"the  corpse  of  a  drowned  boy"  {p.  135). 


of  the  seamen ;  and  I  got  two  of  them  into  the  boat,  without  examining  what 
was  in  them.  Had  the  stern  of  the  ship  been  fixed,  and  the  fore-part  broken 
off,  I  am  persuaded  I  might  have  made  a  good  voyage ;  for,  by  what  I 
found  in  these  two  chests,  I  had  room  to  suppose  the  ship  had  a 
great  deal  of  wealth  on  board;  and,  if  I  may  guess  from  the  course  she  steered, 
she  must  have  been  bound  from  Buenos  Ayres,  or  the  Rio  de  la  Plata, 
in  the  south  part  of  America,  beyond  the  Brazils,  to  the  Havanna,  in  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  so  perhaps  to  Spain.  She  had,  no  doubt,  a  great  treasure 
in  her,  but  of  no  use,  at  that  time,  to  anybody ;  but  what  became  of  the  crew  I 
then  knew  not. 

I  found,  besides  these  chests,  a  little  cask  full  of  liquor,  of  about  twenty 
gallons,  which  I  got  into  my  boat  with  much  difficulty.  There  were  several  muskets 
in  the  cabin,  and  a  great  powder-horn,  with  about  four  pounds  of  powder  in 
it..     As   for  the   muskets,  I   had  no   occasion  for  them,  so   I   left  them,  but  took 


138  Robinson  Crusoe. 

the  powder-horn.  I  took  a  fire-shovel  and  tongs,  which  I  wanted  extremely,  as 
also  two  little  brass  kettles,  a  copper  pot  to  make  chocolate,  and  a  gridiron ;  and 
with  this  cargo,  and  the  dog,  I  came  away,  the  tide  beginning  to  make  home 
again ;  and  the  same  evening,  about  an  hour  within  night,  I  reached  the  island 
again,  weary  and  fatigued  to  the  last  degree.  I  reposed  that  night  in  the  boat ; 
and  in  the  morning  I  resolved  to  harbor  what  I  had  got  in  my  new  cave,  and 
not  cany  it  home  to  my  castle.  After  refreshing  myself,  I  got  all  my  cargo  on 
shore,  and  began  to  examine  the  particulars.  The  cask  of  liquor  I  found  to  be 
a  kind  of  rum,  but  not  such  as  we  had  at  the  Brazils ;  and,  in  a  word,  not  at  all 
good ;  but  when  I  came  to  open  the  chests,  I  found  several  things  of  great  use 
to  me :  for  example,  I  found  in  one  a  fine  case  of  bottles,  of  an  extraordinary 
kind,  and  filled  with  cordial  waters,  fine  and  very  good.  The  bottles  held  about 
three  pints  each,  and  were  tipped  with  silver.  I  found  two  pots  of  very  good 
succades,  or  sweetmeats,  so  fastened  also  on  the  top  that  the  salt  water  had  not 
hurt  them ;  and  two  more  of  the  same,  which  the  water  had  spoiled.  I  found 
some  very  good  shirts,  which  were  very  welcome  to  me ;  and  about  a  dozen  and 
a  half  of  white  linen  handkerchiefs  and  colored  neckcloths ;  the  former  were 
also  very  welcome,  being  exceedingly  refreshing  to  wipe  my  face  in  a 
hot  day.  Besides  this,  when  I  came  to  the  till  in  the  chest,  I  found  there 
three  great  bags  of  pieces  of  eight,  which  held  about  eleven  hundred  pieces  in  all ; 
and  in  one  of  them,  wrapped  up  in  a  paper,  six  doubloons  of  gold,  and  some 
small  bars  or  wedges  of  gold  ;  I  suppose  they  might  all  weigh  near  a  pound.  In 
the  other  chest  were  some  clothes,  but  of  little  value ;  but,  by  the  circumstances, 
it  must  have  belonged  to  the  gunner's  mate  ;  though  there  was  no  powder  in  it, 
except  two  pounds  of  fine  glazed  powder,  in  three  small  flasks,  kept,  I  suppose, 
for  charging  their  fowling-pieces  on  occasion.  Upon  the  whole,  I  got  very  little  by 
this  voyage  that  was  of  any  use  to  me  ;  for  as  to  the  money,  I  had  no  manner  of 
occasion  for  it ;  it  was  to  me  as  the  dirt  under  my  feet,  and  I  would  have  given 
it  all  for  three  or  four  pair  of  English  shoes  and  stockings,  which  were  things  I 
greatly  wanted,  but  had  none  on  my  feet  for  many  years.  I  had,  indeed,  got 
two  pair  of  shoes  now,  which  I  took  off  the  feet  of  the  two  drowned  men  whom 
I  saw  in  the  wreck,  and  I  found  two  pair  more  in  one  of  the  chests,  which  were 
very  welcome  to  me  ;  but  they  were  not  like  our  English  shoes,  either  for  ease  or 
service,  being  rather  what  we  call  pumps  than  shoes.  I  found  in  this  seaman's 
chest  about  fifty  pieces  of  eight,  in  rials,  but  no  gold :  I  suppose  this  belonged 
to  a  poorer  man  than  the  other,  which  seemed  to  belong  to  some  officer.  Well, 
however,  I  lugged  this  money  home  to  my  cave,  and  laid  it  up,  as  I  had  done 
that  before  which  I  had  brought  from  our  own  ship ;  but  it  was  a  great  pity,  as 
I  said,  that  the  other  part  of  this  ship  had  not  come  to  my  share  ;  for  I  am  satisfied 
I  might  have  loaded  my  canoe  several  times  over  with  money ;  which,  if  1  had 
ever  escaped  to  England,  would  have  lain  here  safe  enough  till  I  might  have  come 
again  and  fetched  it. 

Having  now  brought  all  my  things  on  shore,  and  secured  them,  I  went-  back 
to  my  boat,  and  rowed  or  paddled  her  along  the  shore  to  her  old  harbor,  where 


/  Form  New  Projects,  139 

I  laid  her  up,  and  made  the  best  of  my  way  to  my  old  habitation,  where  I 
found  everything  safe  and  quiet.  I  began  now  to  repose  myself,  live  after  my  old 
fashion,  and'  take  care  of  my  family  affairs ;  and  for  awhile  I  lived  easy  enough, 
only  that  I  was  more  vigilant  than  I  used  to  be,  looked  out  oftener,  and  did  not 
go  abroad  so  much ;  and  if,  at  any  time,  I  did  stir  with  any  freedom,  it  was 
always  to  the  east  part  of  the  island,  where  I  was  pretty  well  satisfied  the  savages 
never  came,  and  where  I  could  go  without  so  many  precautions,  and  such  a  load 
of  arms  and  ammunition  as  I  always  carried  with  me  if  I  went  the  other  way. 
I  lived  in  this  condition  near  two  years  more ;  but  my  unlucky  head,  that  was 
always  to  let  me  know  it  was  born  to  make  my  body  miserable,  was  all  these  two 
years  filled  with  projects  and  designs,  how,  if  it  were  possible,  I  might  get  away 
from  this  island :  for  sometimes  I  was  for  making  another  voyage  to  the  wreck, 
though  my  reason  told  me  that  there  was  nothing  left  there  worth  the  hazard  of 
my  voyage ;  sometimes  for  a  ramble  one  way,  sometimes  another :  and  I  believe 
verily,  if  I  had  had  the  boat  that  I  went  from  Sallee  in,  I  should  have  ventured 
to  sea,  bound  anywhere,  I  knew  not  whither.  I  have  been,  in  all  my  circumstances, 
a  memento  to  those  who  are  touched  with  the  general  plague  of  mankind,  whence, 
for  aught  I  know,  one-half  of  their  miseries  flow ;  I  mean  that  of  not  being 
satisfied  with  the  station  wherein  God  and  Nature  hath  placed  them :  for,  not  to 
look  back  upon  my  primitive  condition,  and  the  excellent  advice  of  my  father, 
the  opposition  to  which  was,  as  I  may  call  it,  my  original  sin,  my  subsequent 
mistakes  of  the  same  kind  had  been  the  means  of  my  coming  into  this  miserable 
condition  ;  for  had  that  Providence,  which  so  happily  seated  me  at  the  Brazils  as 
a  planter,  blessed  me  with  confined  desires,  and  I  could  have  been  contented  to 
have  gone  on  gradually,  I  might  have  been  by  this  time,  I  mean  in  the  time  of 
my  being  in  this  island,  one  of  the  most  considerable  planters  in  the  Brazils : 
nay,  I  am  persuaded  that  by  the  improvements  I  had  made  in  that  little  time  I 
lived  there,  and  the  increase  I  should  probably  have  made  if  I  had  remained,  I 
might  have  been  worth  a  hundred  thousand  moidores :  and  what  business  had  I 
to  leave  a  settled  fortune,  a  well-stocked  plantation,  improving  and  increasing,  to 
turn  supercargo  to  Guinea  to  fetch  negroes,  when  patience  and  time  would  have 
so  increased  our  stock  at  home,  that  we  could  have  bought  them  at  our  own  door 
from  those  whose  business  it  was  to  fetch  them?  and  though  it  had  cost  us  some- 
thing more,  yet  the-  difference  of  that  price  was  by  no  means  worth  saving  at  so 
great  a  hazard.  But  as  this  is  ordinarily  the  fate  of  young  heads,  so  reflection 
upon  the  folly  of  it  is  as  commonly  the  exercise  of  more  years,  or  of  the  dear- 
bought  experience  of  time :  so  it  was  with  me  now ;  and  yet  so  deep  had  the 
mistake  taken  root  in  my  temper,  that  I  could  not  satisfy  myself  in  my  station, 
but  was  continually  poring  upon  the  means  and  possibility  of  my  escape  from  this 
place :  and  that  I  may,  with  the  greater  pleasure  to  the  reader,  bring  on  the 
remaining  part  of  my  story,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  give  some  account  of  my 
first  conceptions  on  the  subject  of  this  foolish  scheme  for  my  escape,  and  how, 
and  upon  what  foundation,  I  acted. 

I  am  now  to  be  supposed  retired  into  my  castle,  after  my  late  voyage  to  the 


140 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


wreck,  my  frigate  laid  up  and  secured  under  water,  as  usual,  and  my  condition 
restored  to  what  it  was  before :  I  had  more  wealth,  indeed,  than  I  had  before, 
but  was  not  at  all  the  richer;  for  I  had  no  more  use  for  it  than  the  Indians  of 
Peru  had  before  the  Spaniards  came  there. 

It  was  one  of  the  nights  in  the  rainy  season  in  March,  the  four-and-twentieth 
year  of  my  first  setting  foot  in  this  island  of  solitude.  I  was  lying  in  my  bed  or 
hammock,  awake,  very  well  in  health,  had  no  pain,  no  distemper,  no  uneasiness  of 


BEGAN    TO    EXAMINE    THE    PARTICULARS"    (/.    I38J. 


body,  nor  any  uneasiness  of  mind  more  than  ordinary,  but  could  by  no  means 
close  my  eyes,  that  is,  so  as  to  sleep  ;  no,  not  a  wink  all  night  long,  otherwise 
than  as  follows: — It  is  impossible  and  needless  to  set  down  the  innumerable  crowd 
of  thoughts  that  whirled  through  that  great  thoroughfare  of  the  brain — the 
memory — in  this  night's  time :  I  ran  over  the  whole  history  of  my  life  in  miniature, 
or  by  abridgment,  as  I  may  call  it,  to  my  coming  to  this  island,  and  also  of  that 
part  of  my  life  since  I  came  to  this  island.  In  my  reflections  upon  the  state  of 
my  case  since  I  came  on  shore  on  this  island,  I  was  comparing  the  happy 
posture  of  my  affairs  in  the  first  years  of  my  habitation  here,  with  the  life  of 
anxiety,  fear,  and  care,  which  I  had  lived  in  ever  since  I  had  seen  the  print  of 
a  foot  in  the  sand ;  not  that  I  did  not  believe  the  savages  had  frequented  the 
island  even  all  the  while,  and  might  have  been  several  hundreds  of  them  at  times  on 
shore  there ;    but  I  had  never  known  it,  and  was  incapable  of  any  apprehensions 


Terror  of  the  Savages.  141 

about  it ;  my  satisfaction  was  perfect,  though  my  danger  was  the  same,  and  I 
was  as  happy  in  not  knowing  my  danger  as  if  I  had  never  really  been  exposed 
to  it.  This  furnished  my  thoughts  with  many  very  profitable  reflections,  and 
particularly  this  one :  How  infinitely  good  that  Providence  is,  which  has  provided, 
in  its  government  of  mankind,  such  narrow  bounds  to  his  sight  and  knowledge 
of  things ;  and  though  he  walks  in  the  midst  of  so  many  thousand  dangers,  the 
sight  of  which,  if  discovered  to  him,  would  distract  his  mind  and  sink  his  spirits, 
he  is  kept  serene  and  calm,  by  having  the  events  of  things  hid  from  his  eyes, 
and  knowing  nothing  of  the  dangers  which  surround  him. 

After  these  thoughts  had  for  some  time  entertained  me,  I  came  to  reflect 
seriously  upon  the  real  danger  I  had  been  in  for  so  many  years  in  this  very 
island,  and  how  I  had  walked  about  in  the  greatest  security,  and  with  all  possible 
tranquillity,  even  when  perhaps  nothing  but  the  brow  of  a  hill,  a  great  tree,  or 
the  casual  approach  of  night,  had  been  between  me  and  the  worst  kind  of 
destruction,  viz.,  that  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  cannibals  and  savages,  who  would 
have  seized  on  me  with  the  same  view  as  I  would  on  a  goat  or  a  turtle ;  and 
have  thought  it  no  more  crime  to  kill  and  devour  me  than  I  did  of  a  pigeon  or 
a  curlew.  I  would  unjustly  slander  myself,  if  I  should  say  I  was  not  sincerely 
thankful  to  my  great  Preserver,  to  whose  singular  protection  I  acknowledged,  with 
great  humility,  all  these  unknown  deliverances  were  due,  and  without  which  I 
must  inevitably  have  fallen  into  their  merciless  hands. 

When  these  thoughts  were  over,  my  head  was  for  some  time  taken  up  in  con- 
sidering the  nature  of  these  wretched  creatures,  I  mean  the  savages,  and  how  it 
came  to  pass  in  the  world  that  the  wise  Governor  of  all  things  should  give  up 
any  of  His  creatures  to  such  inhumanity,  nay,  to  something  so  much  below  even 
brutality  itself,  as  to  devour  its  own  kind :  but  as  this  ended  in  some  (at  that 
time)  fruitless  speculations,  it  occurred  to  me  to  inquire  what  part  of  the  world 
these  wretches  lived  in?  how  far  off  the  coast  was  from  whence  they  came?  what 
they  ventured  over  so  far  from  home  for?  what  kind  of  boats  they  had?  and  why 
I  might  not  order  myself  and  my  business  so  that  I  might  be  as  able  to  go 
over  thither  as  they  were  to  come  to  me? 

I  never  so  much  as  troubled  myself  to  consider  what  I  should  do  with  myself 
when  I  went  thither ;  what  would  become  of  me  if  I  fell  into  the  hands  of  these 
savages ;  or  how  I .  should  escape  them  if  they  attacked  me ;  no,  nor  so  much  as 
how  it  was  possible  for  me  to  reach'  the  coast,  and  not  be  attacked  by  some  or 
other  of  them,  without  any  possibility  of  delivering  myself :  and  if  I  should  not 
fall  into  their  hands,  what  I  should  do  for  provision,  or  whither  I  should  bend 
my  course :  none  of  these  thoughts,  I  say,  so  much  as  came  in  my  way ;  but  my 
mind  was  wholly  bent  upon  the  notion  of  my  passing  over  in  my  boat  to  the 
mainland.  I  looked  upon  my  present  condition  as  the  most  miserable  that  could 
possibly  be ;  that  I  was  not  able  to  throw  myself  into  anything,  but  death,  that 
could  be  called  worse ;  and  if  I  reached  the  shore  of  the  main,  I  might  perhaps 
meet  with  relief ;  or  I  might  coast  along,  as  I  did  on  the  African  shore,  till  I  came 
to   some   inhabited   country,  and  where  I  might  find  some  relief ;    and,  after  all, 


142  Robinson  Crusoe. 

perhaps  I  might  fall  in  with  some  Christian  ship  that  might  take  me  in;  and  if 
the  worst  came  to  the  worst,  I  could  but  die,  which  would  put  an  end  to  all 
these  miseries  at  once.  Pray  note,  all  this  was  the  fruit  of  a  disturbed  mind,  an 
impatient  temper,  made,  as  it  were,  desperate  by  the  long  continuance  of  my 
troubles,  and  the  disappointments  I  had  met  with  in  the  wreck  I  had  been  on 
board  of,  and  where  I  had  been  so  near  the  obtaining  what  I  so  earnestly  longed 
for,  namely,  somebody  to  speak  to,  and  to  learn  some  knowledge  of  the  place 
where  I  was,  and  of  the  probable  means  of  my  deliverance.  I  say  I  was  agitated 
wholly  by  these  thoughts ;  all  my  calm  of  mind,  in  my  resignation  to  Providence, 
and  waiting  the  issue  of  the  dispositions  of  Heaven,  seemed  to  be  suspended ;  and 
I  had,  as  it  were,  no  power  to  turn  my  thoughts  to  anything  but  the  project  of 
a  voyage  to  the  main,  which  came  upon  me  with  such  force  and  such  an  im- 
petuosity of  desire  that  it  was  not  to  be  resisted. 

When  this  had  agitated  my  thoughts  for  two  hours  or  more,  with  such  violence 
that  it  set  my  very  blood  into  a  ferment,  and  my  pulse  beat  as  if  I  had  been 
in  a  fever  merely  with  the  extraordinary  fervor  of  my  mind  about  it,  Nature, 
as  if  I  had  been  fatigued  and  exhausted  with  the  very  thoughts  of  it,  threw  me 
into  a  sound  sleep.  One  would  have  thought  I  should  have  dreamed  of  it,  but 
I  did  not,  nor  of  anything  relating  to  it :  but  I  dreamed  that  as  I  was  going  out 
in  the  morning  as  usual,  from  my  castle,  I  saw  upon  the  shore  two  canoes  and 
eleven  savages,  coming  to  land,  and  that  they  brought  with  them  another  savage, 
whom  they  were  going  to  kill,  in  order  to  eat  him ;  when,  on  a  sudden,  the 
savage  that  they  were  going  to  kill  jumped  away,  and  ran  for  his  life ;  then  I 
thought,  in  my  sleep,  that  he  came  running  into  my  little  thick  grove  before  my 
fortification,  to  hide  himself ;  and  that  I,  seeing  him  alone,  and  not  perceiving 
that  the  others  sought  him  that  way,  showed  myself  to  him,  and  smiling  upon 
him  encouraged  him :  that  he  kneeled  down  to  me,  seeming  to  pray  me  to 
assist  him ;  upon  which  I  showed  him  my  ladder,  made  him  go  up  it,  and  carried 
him  into  my  cave,  and  he  became  my  servant ;  and  that  as  soon  as  I  had  got 
this  man,  I  said  to  myself,  "  Now  I  may  certainly  venture  to  the  mainland,  for 
this  fellow  will  serve  me  as  a  pilot,  and  will  tell  me  what  to  do,  and  whither  to 
go  for  provisions,  and  whither  not  to  go  for  fear  of  being  devoured ;  what  places 
to  venture  into,  and  what  to  escape."  I  waked  with  this  thought ;  and  was  under 
such  inexpressible  impressions  of  joy  at  the  prospect  of  my  escape  in  my  dream, 
that  the  disappointments  which  I  felt  upon  coming  to  myself,  and  finding  that 
it  was  no  more  than  a  dream,  were  equally  extravagant  the  other  way,  and  threw 
me  into  a  good  dejection  of  spirits. 

Upon  this,  however,  I  made  this  conclusion :  that  my  only  way  to  go 
about  an  attempt  for  an  escape  was,  if  possible,  to  get  a  savage  into  my  pos- 
session ;  and,  if  possible,  it  should  be  one  of  their  prisoners,  whom  they  had 
condemned  to  be  eaten,  and  should  bring  hither  to  kill.  But  these  thoughts 
still  were  attended  with  this  difficulty,  that  it  was  impossible  to  effect  this  without 
attacking  a  whole  caravan  of  them,  and  killing  them  all ;  and  this  was  not  only 
a  very   desperate   attempt,   and   might  miscarry,   but,   on    the   other  hand,   I   had 


On  the  Watch.  143 

greatly  scrupled  the  lawfulness  of  it  to  me ;  and  my  heart  trembled  at  the  thoughts 
of  shedding  so  much  blood,  though  it  was  for  my  deliverance.  I  need  not  repeat 
the  arguments  which  occurred  to  me  against  this,  they  being  the  same  mentioned 
before ;  but  though  I  had  other  reasons  to  offer  now —  viz.,  that  those  men  were 
enemies  to  my  life,  and  would  devour  me  if  they  could ;  that  it  was  .self- 
preservation,  in  the  highest  degree,  to  deliver  myself  from  this  death  of  a  life, 
and  was  acting  in  my  own  defense  as  much  as  if  they  were  actually  assaulting 
me,  and  the  like  ;  I  say,  though  these  things  argued  for  it,  yet  the  thoughts  of 
shedding  human  blood  for  my  deliverance  were  very  terrible  to  me,  and  such  as 
I  could  by  no  means  reconcile  myself  to  for  a  great  while.  However,  at  last, 
after  many  secret  disputes  with  myself,  and  after  great  perplexities  about  it  (for 
all  these  arguments,  one  way  and  another,  struggled  in  my  head  a  long  time), 
the  eager  prevailing  desire  of  deliverance  at  length  mastered  all  the  rest ;  and  I 
resolved,  if  possible,  to  get  one  of  these  savages  into  my  hands,  cost  what  it 
would.  My  next  thing  was  to.  contrive  how  to  do  it,  and  this  indeed  was  very 
difficult  to  resolve  on  ;  but  as  I  could  pitch  upon  no  probable  means  for  it,  so 
I  resolved  to  put  myself  upon  the  watch,  to  see  them  when  they  came  on  shore, 
and  leave  the  rest  to  the  event ;  taking  such  measures  as  the  opportunity  should 
present,  let  be  what  would  be. 

With  these  resolutions  in  my  thoughts,  I  set  myself  upon  the  scout  as  often 
as  possible,  and  indeed  so  often  that  I  was  heartily  tired  of  it ;  for  it  was  above 
a  year  and  a  half  that  I  waited ;  and  for  great  part  of  that  time  went  out  to 
the  west  end  and  to  the  south-west  corner  of  the  island  almost  every  day,  to 
look  for  canoes,  but  none  appeared.  This  was  very  discouraging,  and  began 
to  trouble  me  much,  though  I  cannot  say  that  it  did  in  this  case  (as  it  had  done 
some  time  before)  wear  off  the  edge  of  my  desire  to  the  thing ;  but  the  longer 
it  seemed  to  be  delayed,  the  more  eager  I  was  for  it :  in  a  word,  I  was  not  at 
first  so  careful  to  shun  the  sight  of  these  savages,  and  avoid  being  seen  by 
them,  as  I  was  now  eager  to  be  upon  them.  Besides,  I  fancied  myself  able  to 
manage  one,  nay,  two  or  three  savages,  if  I  had  them,  so  as  to  make  them 
entirely  slaves  to  me,  to  do  whatever  I  should  direct  them,  and  to  prevent  their 
being  able  at  any  time  to  do  me  any  hurt.  It  was  a  great  while  that  I  pleased 
myself  with  this  affair ;  but  nothing  still  presented ;  all  my  fancies  and  schemes 
came  to  nothing,  for  no  savages  came  near  me  for  a  great  while. 

About  a  year  and  a  half  after  I  entertained  these  notions  (and  by  long  musing 
had,  as  it  were,  resolved  them  all  into  nothing,  for  want  of  an  occasion  to  put 
them  in  execution),  I  was  surprised  one  morning  early  by  seeing  no  less  than 
five  canoes  all  on  shore  together  on  my  side  the  island,  and  the  people  who 
belonged  to  them  all  landed  and  out  of  my  sight.  The  number  of  them  broke 
all  my  measures ;  for  seeing  so  many,  and  knowing  that  they  always  came  four 
or  six,  or  sometimes  more,  in  a  boat,  I  could  not  tell  what  to  think  of  it,  or 
how  to  take  my  measures,  to  attack  twenty  or  thirty  men  single-handed  ;  so  lay 
still  in  my  castle,  perplexed  and  discomforted.  However,  I  put  myself  into  all 
the  same  postures  for  an  attack  that  I  had  formerly  provided,  and  was  just  ready 


144  Robinson  Crusoe. 

for  action,  if  anything  had  presented.  Having  waited  a  good  while,  listening  to 
hear  if  they  made  any  noise,  at  length,  being  very  impatient,  I  set  my  guns  at 
the  foot  of  my  ladder,  and  clambered  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  by  my  two 
stages,  as  usual ;  standing  so,  however,  that  my  head  did  not  appear  above  the 
hill,  so  that  they  could  not  perceive  me  by  any  means.  Here  I  observed,  by 
the  help  of  my  perspective  glass,  that  they  were  no  less  than  thirty  in  number ; 
that  they  had  a  fire  kindled,  and  that  they  had  meat  dressed.  How  they  had 
cooked  it,  I  knew  not,  or  what  it  was ;  but  they  were  all  dancing,  in  I  know 
not  how  many  barbarous  gestures  and  figures,  their  own  way,  round  the  fire. 

While  I  was  thus  looking  on  them,  I  perceived,  by  my  perspective,  two 
miserable  wretches  dragged  from  the  boats,  where,  it  seems,  they  were  laid  by, 
and  were  now  brought  out  for  the  slaughter.  I  perceived  one  of  them  imme- 
diately fall ;  being  knocked  down,  I  suppose,  with  a  club,  or  wooden  sword,  for 
that  was  their  way ;  and  two  or  three  others  were  at  work  immediately,  cutting 
him  open  for  their  cookery,  while  the  other  victim  was  left  standing  by  himself, 
till  they  should  be  ready  for  him.  In  that  very  moment,  this  poor  wretch,  seeing 
himself  a  little  at  liberty,  and  unbound,  Nature  inspired  him  with  hopes  of  life, 
and  he  started  away  from  them,  and  ran  with  incredible  swiftness  along  the  sands, 
directly  towards  me ;  I  mean,  towards  that  part  of  the  coast  where  my  habitation 
was.  I  was  dreadfully  frightened,  that  I  must  acknowledge,  when  I  perceived 
him  run  my  way ;  and  especially  when,  as  I  thought,  I  saw  him  pursued  by  the 
whole  body ;  and  now  I  expected  that  part  of  my  dream  was  coming  to  pass, 
and  that  he  would  certainly  take  shelter  in  my  grove :  but  I  could  not  depend, 
by  any  means,  upon  my  dream,  that  the  other  savages  would  not  pursue  him 
thither,  and  find  him  there.  However,  I  kept  my  station,  and  my  spirits  began 
to  recover  when  I  found  that  there  was  not  above  three  men  that  followed  him ; 
and  still  more  was  I  encouraged  when  I  found  that  he  outstripped  them  exceed- 
ingly in  running,  and  gained  ground  on  them ;  so  that,  if  he  could  but  hold  it 
for  half  an  hour,  I  saw  easily  he  would  fairly  get  away  from  them  all. 

There  was  between  them  and  my  castle,  the  creek,  which  I  mentioned  often  in 
the  first  part  of  my  story,  where  I  landed  my  cargoes  out  of  the  ship  ;  and  this  I 
saw  plainly  he  must  necessarily  swim  over,  or  the  poor  wretch  would  be  taken 
there ;  but  when  the  savage  escaping  came  thither,  he  made  nothing  of  it,  though 
the  tide  was  then  up  ;  but,  plunging  in,  swam  through  in  about  thirty  strokes,  or 
thereabouts,  landed,  and  ran  with  exceeding  strength  and  swiftness.  When  the 
three  persons  came  to  the  creek,  I  found  that  two  of  them  could  swim,  but  the 
third  could  not,  and  that,  standing  on  the  other  side,  he  looked  at  the  others, 
but  went  no  farther,  and  soon  after  went  softly  back  again ;  which,  as  it  happened, 
was  very  well  for  him  in  the  end.  I  observed  that  the  two  who  swam  were  yet 
more  than  twice  as  long  swimming  over  the  creek  than  the  fellow  was  that  fled 
from  them.  It  came  very  warmly  upon  my  thoughts,  and  indeed  irresistibly,  that 
now  was  the  time  to  get  me  a  servant,  and  perhaps  a  companion  or  assistant ;  and 
that  I  was  plainly  called  by  Providence  to  save  this  poor  creature's  life.  I  imme- 
diately ran  down  the  ladder  with  all  possible  expedition,  fetched  my  two  guns,  for 


"I   WAS   THEN   OBLIGED   TO   SHOOT.' 


(Seep.  145.) 


Encounter  with  the  Savages. 


H5 


they  were  both  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  as  I  observed  before,  and  getting  up 
again  with  the  same  haste  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  I  crossed  towards  the  sea ;  and 
having  a  very  short  cut,  and  all  down  hill,  clapped  myself  in  the  way  between  the 
pursuers  and  the  pursued,  hallooing  aloud  to  him  that  fled,  who,  looking  back,  was  at 
first  perhaps  as  much  frightened  at  me  as  at  them ;  but  I  beckoned  with  my  hand  to 
him  to  come  back ;   and,  in  the  meantime,  I  slowly  advanced  towards  the  two  that 


"dancing  round  the  fire"  (/.  144). 


followed ;  then  rushing  at  once  upon  the  foremost,  I  knocked  him  down  with  the 
stock  of  my  piece.  I  was  loth  to  fire,  because  I  would  not  have  the  rest  hear  ;  though, 
at  that  distance,  it  would 'not  have  been  easily  heard,  and  being  out  of  sight  of  the 
smoke,  too,  they  would  not  have  known  what  to  make  of  it.  Having  knocked  this 
fellow  down,  the  other  who  pursued  him  stopped,  as  if  he  had  been  frightened, 
and  I  advanced  towards  him ;  but  as  I  came  nearer,  I  perceived  presently  he  had 
a  bow  and  arrow,  and  was  fitting  it  to  shoot  at  me  ;  so  I  was  then  obliged  to 
shoot  at  him  first,  which  I  did,  and  killed  him  at  the  first  shot.  The  poor  savage 
who  fled,  but  had  stopped,  though  he  saw  both  his  enemies  fallen  and  killed,  as 
he  thought,  yet  was  so  frightened  with  the  fire  and  noise   of  my  piece  that  he 


146  Robinson  Crusoe. 

stood  stock-still,  and  neither  came  forward  nor  went  backward,  though  he  seemed 
rather  inclined  still  to  fly  than  to  come  on.  I  hallooed  again  to  him,  and  made 
signs  to  come  forward,  which  he  easily  understood,  and  came  a  little  way ; 
then  stopped  again,  and  then  a  little  farther,  and  stopped  again ;  and  I  could 
then  perceive  that  he  stood  trembling,  as  if  he  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  had 
just  been  to  be  killed,  as  his  two  enemies  were.  I  beckoned  to  him  again  to 
come  to  me,  and  gave  him  all  the  signs  of  encouragement  that  I  could  think  of; 
and  he  came  nearer  and  nearer,  kneeling  down  every  ten  or  twelve  steps,  in  token 
of  acknowledgment  for  saving  his  life.  I  smiled  at  him,  and  looked  pleasantly, 
and  beckoned  to  him  to  come  still  nearer ;  at  length,  he  came  close  to  me ;  and 
then  he  kneeled  down  again,  kissed  the  ground,  and  laid  his  head  upon  the  ground, 
and,  taking  me  by  the  foot,  set  my  foot  upon  his  head ;  this,  it  seems,  was  in 
token  of  swearing  to  be  my  slave  forever.  I  took  him  up,  and  made  much  of 
him,  and  encouraged  him  all  I  could.  But  there  was  more  work  to  do  yet ;  for 
I  perceived  the  savage  whom  I  had  knocked  down  was  not  killed,  but  stunned 
with  the  blow,  and  began  to  come  to  himself :  so  I  pointed  to  him,  and  showed 
him  the  savage,  that  he  was  not  dead ;  upon  this  he  spoke  some  words  to  me,  and 
though  I  could  not  understand  them,  yet  I  thought  they  were  pleasant  to  hear ;  for 
they  were  the  first  sound  of  a  man's  voice  that  I  had  heard,  my  own  excepted,  for 
above  twenty-five  years.  But  there  was  no  time  for  such  reflections  now ;  the  savage 
who  was  knocked  down  recovered  himself  so  far  as  to  sit  up  on  the  ground,  and  I 
perceived  that  my  savage  began  to  be  afraid ;  but  when  I  saw  that,  I  presented  my 
other  piece  at  the  man,  as  if  I  would  shoot  him ;  upon  this  my  savage,  for  so  I 
called  him  now,  made  a  motion  to  me  to  lend  him  my  sword,  which  hung  naked  in 
a  belt  by  my  side,  which  I  did.  He  no  sooner  had  it  but  he  runs  to  his  enemy,  and 
at  one  blow  cut  off  his  head  as  cleverly,  no  executioner  in  Germany  could  have  done 
it  sooner  or  better ;  which  I  thought  very  strange  for  one  who,  I  had  reason  to  be- 
lieve, never  saw  a  sword  in  his  life  before,  except  their  own  wooden  swords :  how- 
ever, it  seems,  as  I  learned  afterwards,  they  make  their  wooden  swords  so  sharp,  so 
heavy,  and  the  wood  is  so  hard,  that  they  will  even  cut  off  heads  with  them,  ay,  and 
arms,  and  that  at  one  blow  too.  When  he  had  done  this,  he  comes  laughing  to  me 
in  sign  of  triumph,  and  brought  me  the  sword  again,  and  with  abundance  of  gestures 
which  I  did  not  understand,  laid  it  down,  with  the  head  of  the  savage  that  he  had  killed, 
just  before  me.  But  that  which  astonished  him  most  was  to  know  how  I  killed  the 
other  Indian  so  far  off ;  so  pointing  to  him,  he  made  signs  to  me  to  let  him  go  to  him ; 
and  I  bade  him  go,  as  well  as  I  could.  When  he  came  to  him,  he  stood  like  one 
amazed,  looking  at  him,  turning  him  first  on  one  side,  then  on  the  other ;  looked  at 
the  wound  the  bullet  had  made,  which  it  seems  was  just  in  his  breast,  where  it  had 
made  a  hole,  and  no  great  quantity  of  blood  had  followed  ;  but  he  had  bled  inwardly, 
for  he  was  quite  dead.  He  took  up  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  came  back ;  so  I  turned 
to  go  away,  and  beckoned  him  to  follow  me,  making  signs  to  him  that  more  might 
come  after  them. 

Upon  this  he  made  signs  to  me  that  he  should  bury  them  with  sand,  that  they 
might  not  be  seen  by  the  rest,  if  they  followed ;   and  so  I  made  signs  to  him  again 


My  Man,  Friday.  147 

to  do  so.  He  fell  to  work ;  and  in  an  instant  he  had  scraped  a  hole  in  the  sand 
with  his  hands,  big  enough  to  bury  the  first  in,  and  then  dragged  him  into  it,  and 
covered  him ;  and  did  so  by  the  other  also ;  I  believe  he  had  buried  them  both 
in  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Then  calling  him  away,  I  carried  him,  not  to  my  castle,  but 
quite  away  to  my  cave,  on  the  farther  part  of  the  island ;  so  I  did  not  let  my  dream 
come  to  pass  in  that  part,  that  he  came  into  my  grove  for  shelter.  Here  I  gave  him 
bread  and  a  bunch  of  raisins  to  eat,  and  a  draught  of  water,  which  I  found  he  was 
indeed  in  great  distress  for  from  his  running ;  and  having  refreshed  him,  I  made 
signs  for  him  to  go  and  lie  down  to  sleep,  showing  him  a  place  where  I  had  laid 
some  rice-straw,  and  a  blanket  upon  it,  which  I  used  to  sleep  upon  myself  sometimes  ; 
so  the  poor  creature  lay  down,  and  went  to  sleep. 

He  was  a  comely,  handsome  fellow,  perfectly  well  made,  with  straight,  strong 
limbs,  not  too  large,  tall  and  well  shaped ;  and,  as  I  reckon,  about  twenty-six  years 
of  age.  He  had  a  very  good  countenance,  not  a  fierce  and  surly  aspect,  but 
seemed  to  have  something  very  manly  in  his  face ;  and  yet  he  had  all  the  sweet- 
ness and  softness  of  a  European  in  his  countenance,  too,  especially  when  he  smiled. 
His  hair  was  long  and  black,  not  curled  like  wool ;  his  forehead  very  high  and 
large ;  and  a  great  vivacity  and  sparkling  sharpness  in  his  eyes.  The  color  of  his 
skin  was  not  quite  black,  but  very  tawny ;  and  yet  not  an  ugly,  yellow,  nauseous 
tawny,  as  the  Brazilians  and  Virginians,  and  other  natives  of  America  are,  but  of 
a  bright  kind  of  a  dun  olive-color,  that  had  in  it  something  very  agreeable,  though 
not  very  easy  to  describe.  His  face  was  round  and  plump ;  his  nose  small,  not 
flat  like  the  Negroes' ;  a  very  good  mouth,  thin  lips,  and  his  fine  teeth  well  set, 
and  as  white  as  ivory. 

After  he  had  slumbered,  rather  than  slept,  about  half  an  hour,  he  awoke  again, 
and  came  out  of  the  cave  to  me ;  for  I  had  been  milking  my  goats,  which  I  had 
in  the  inclosure  just  by :  when  he  espied  me,  he  came  running  to  me,  laying  him- 
self down  again  upon  the  ground,  with  all  the  possible  signs  of  an  humble,  thankful 
disposition,  making  a  great  many  antic  gestures  to  show  it.  At  last  he  lays  his  head 
flat  upon  the  ground,  close  to  my  foot,  and  sets  my  other  foot  upon  his  head,  as 
he  had  done  before ;  and  after  this,  made  all  the  signs  to  me  of  subjection,  servitude, 
and  submission  imaginable,  to  let  me  know  how  he  would  serve  me  so  long  as  he 
lived.  I  understood  him  in  many  things,  and  let  him  know  I  was  very  well 
pleased  with  him.  In  a  little  time  I  began  to  speak  to  him,  and  teach  him  to 
speak  to  me ;  and,  'first,  I  let  him  know  his  name  should  be  Friday,  which  was 
the  day  I  saved  his  life :  I  called  him  so  for  the  memory  of  the  time.  I  likewise 
taught  him  to  say  Master,  and  then  let  him  know  that  was  to  be  my  name ;  I 
likewise  taught  him  to  say  Yes  and  No,  and  to  know  the  meaning  of  them.  I 
gave  him  some  milk  in  an  earthen  pot,  and  let  him  see  me  drink  it  before  him, 
and  sop  my  bread  in  it ;  and  gave  him  a  cake  of  bread  to  do  the  like,  which 
he  quickly  complied  with,  and  made  signs  that  it  was  very  good  for  him.  I  kept 
there  with  him  all  that  night ;  but,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  I  beckoned  to  him  to 
come  with  me,  and  let  him  know  I  would  give  him  some  clothes ;  at  which  he 
seemed  very  glad,  for  he  was  stark  naked.     As  we  went  by  the  place  where  he 


148 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


had  buried  the  two  men,  he  pointed  exactly  to  the  place,  and  showed  me  the 
marks  that  he  had  made  to  find  them  again,  making  signs  to  me  that  we  should 
dig  them  up  again  and  eat  them.  At  this  I  appeared  very  angry,  expressed  my 
abhorrence  of  it,  made  as  if  -I  would  vomit  at  the  thoughts  of  it,  and  beckoned 
with  my  hand  to  him  to  come  away,  which  he  did  immediately,  with  great  sub- 
mission. I  then  led  him  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  to  see  if  his  enemies  were 
gone,   and,  pulling  out  my  glass,  I   looked,  and  saw  plainly  the  place  where  they 


"at  one  blow  cut  off  his  head"  {p.  14b). 


had  been,  but  no  appearance  of  them  or  their  canoes ;   so  that  it  was  plain  they  were 
gone,  and  had  left  their  two  comrades  behind  them,  without  any  search  after  them. 

But  I  was  not  content  with  this  discovery ;  but  having  now  more  courage,  and 
consequently  more  curiosity,  I  took  my  man  Friday  with  me,  giving  him  the  sword 
in  his  hand,  with  the  bow  and  arrows  at  his  back,  which  I  found  he  could  use 
very  dexterously,  making  him  carry  one  gun  for  me,  and  I  two  for  myself ;  and 
away  we  marched  to  the  place  where  these  creatures  had  been — for  I  had  a 
mind  now  to  get  some  fuller  intelligence  of  them.  When  I  came  to  the  place,  my 
very  blood  ran  chill  in  my  veins  and  my  heart  sank  within  me,  at  the  horror  of 


/  Clothe  Friday.  149 

the  spectacle ;  indeed,  it  was  a  dreadful  sight — at  least,  it  was  so  to  me,  though 
Friday  made  nothing  of  it.  The  place  was  covered  with  human  bones,  the  ground 
dyed  with  the  blood,  and  great  pieces  of  flesh  left  here  and  there,  half-eaten, 
mangled,  and  scorched ;  and,  in  short,  all  the  tokens  of  the  triumphant  feast  they 
had  been  making  there,  after  a  victory  over  their  enemies.  I  saw  three  skulls, 
five  hands,  and  the  bones  of  three  or  four  legs  and  feet,  and  abundance  of  other 
parts  of  the  bodies ;  and  Friday,  by  his  signs,  made  me  understand  that  they 
brought  over  four  prisoners  to  feast  upon  ;  that  three  of  them  were  eaten  up,  and 
that  he,  pointing  to  himself,  was  the  fourth ;  that  there  had  been  a  great  battle 
between  them  and  their  next  king,  of  whose  subjects,  it  seems,  he  had  been  one, 
and  that  they  had  taken  a  great  number  of  prisoners ;  all  which  were  carried  to 
several  places  by  those  who  had  taken  them  in  the  fight,  in  order  to  feast  upon 
them,  as  was  done  here  by  these  wretches  upon  those  they  brought  hither. 

I  caused  Friday  to  gather  all  the  skulls,  bones,  flesh,  and  whatever  remained, 
and  lay  them  together  on  a  heap,  and  make  a  great  fire  upon  it,  and  burn  them 
all  to  ashes.  I  found  Friday  had  still  a  hankering  stomach  after  some  of  the 
flesh,  and  was  still  a  cannibal  in  his  nature ;  but  I  discovered  so  much  abhorrence  at 
the  very  thoughts  of  it,  and  at  the  least  appearance  of  it,  that  he  durst  not  discover  it 
— for  I  had,  by  some  means,  let  him  know  that  I  would  kill  him  if  he  offered  it. 

When  he  had  done  this,  we  came  back  to  our  castle,  and  there  I  fell  to  work 
for  my  man  Friday ;  and,  first  of  all,  I  gave  him  a  pair  of  linen  drawers,  which  I 
had  out  of  the  poor  gunner's  chest  I  mentioned,  which  I  found  in  the  wreck,  and 
which,  with  a  little  alteration,  fitted  him  very  well ;  and  then  I  made  him  a  jerkin 
of  goat's  skin,  as  well  as  my  skill  would  allow  (for  I  was  now  grown  a  tolerably 
good  tailor) ;  and  I  gave  him  a  cap  which  I  made  of  hare's  skin,  very  convenient, 
and  fashionable  enough ;  and  thus  he  was  clothed,  for  the  present,  tolerably  well, 
and  was  mighty  well  pleased  to  see  himself  almost  as  well  clothed  as  his  master. 
It  is  true,  he  went  awkwardly  in  these  clothes  at  first ;  wearing  the  drawers  was 
very  awkward  to  him,  and  the  sleeves  of  the  waistcoat  galled  his  shoulders  and 
the  inside  of  his  arms — but  a  little  easing  them  where  he  complained  they  hurt 
him,  and  using  himself  to  them,  at  length  he  took  to  them  very  well. 

The  next  day,  after  I  came  home  to  my  hutch  with  him,  I  began  to  consider 
where  I  should  lodge  him ;  and,  that  I  might  do  well  for  him,  and  yet  be  per- 
fectly easy  myself,  I  made  a  little  tent  for  him  in  the  vacant  place  between  my 
two  fortifications,  in  the  inside  of  the  last,  and  in  the  outside  of  the  first.  As 
there  was  a  door  or  entrance  there  into  my  cave,  I  made  a  formal  framed  door- 
case, and  a  door  to  it  of  boards,  and  set  it  up  in  the  passage,  a  little  within  the 
entrance ;  and,  causing  the  door  to  open  in  the  inside,  I  barred  it  up  in  the 
night,  taking  in  my  ladders,  too  ;  so  that  Friday  could  no  way  come  at  me  in  the 
inside  of  my  innermost  wall,  without  making  so  much  noise  in  getting  over  that 
it  must  needs  awaken  me ;  for  my  first  wall  had  now  a  complete  roof  over  it  of 
long  poles,  covering  all  my  tent,  and  leaning  up  to  the  side  of  the  hill ;  which 
was  again  laid  across  with  smaller  sticks,  instead  of  laths,  and  then  thatched  over 
a  great  thickness  with  the  rice-straw,  which  was  strong,   like  reeds;    and  at  the 


150  Robinson  Crusoe. 

hole  or  place  which  was  left  to  go  in  or  out  by  the  ladder,  I  had  placed  a  kind 
of  trap-door,  which,  if  it  had  been  attempted  on  the  outside,  would  not  have  opened 
at  all,  but  would  have  fallen  down  and  made  a  great  noise :  as  to  weapons,  I  took 
them  all  into  my  side  every  night.  But  I  needed  none  of  all  this  precaution ;  for 
never  man  had  a  more  faithful,  loving,  sincere  servant  than  Friday  was  to  me  ;  without 
passions,  sullenness,  or  designs,  perfectly  obliged  and  engaged ;  his  very  affections 
were  tied  to  me,  like  those  of  a  child  to  a  father ;  and  I  dare  say  he  would  have  sac- 
rificed his  life  for  the  saving  mine,  upon  any  occasion  whatsoever :  the  many  testi- 
monies he  gave  me  of  this  put  it  out  of  doubt,  and  soon  convinced  me  that  I  needed 
no  precautions  for  my  safety  on  his  account. 

This  frequently  gave  me  occasion  to  observe,  and  that  with  wonder,  that  how- 
ever it  had  pleased  God  in  His  providence,  and  in  the  government  of  the  works  of 
His  hands,  to  take  from  so  great  a  part  of  the  world  of  His  creatures  the  best  uses 
to  which  their  faculties  and  the  powers  of  their  souls  are  adapted,  yet  that  He  has 
bestowed  upon  them  the  same  powers,  the  same  reason,  the  same  affections  ;  the 
same  sentiments  of  kindness  and  obligation ;  the  same  passions  and  resentments  of 
wrongs ;  the  same  sense  of  gratitude,  sincerity,  fidelity,  and  all  the  capacities  of  doing 
good  and  receiving  good,  that  He  has  given  to  us ;  and  that  when  He  pleases  to 
offer  them  occasions  of  exerting  these,  they  are  as  ready,  nay,  more  ready,  to  apply 
them  to  the  right  uses  for  which  they  were  bestowed  than  we  are.  This  made  me 
very  melancholy  sometimes,  in  reflecting,  as  the  several  occasions  presented,  how 
mean  a  use  we  make  of  all  these,  even  though  we  have  these  powers  enlightened  by 
the  great  lamp  of  instruction,  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  by  the  knowledge  of  His  word 
added  to  our  understanding ;  and  why  it  has  pleased  God  to  hide  the  like  saving 
knowledge  from  so  many  millions  of  souls,  who,  if  I  might  judge  by  this  poor  savage, 
would  make  a  much  better  use  of  it  than  we  did.  From  hence,  I  sometimes  was  led 
too  far,  to  invade  the  sovereignty  of  Providence,  and,  as  it  were,  arraign  the  justice 
of  so  arbitrary  a  disposition  of  things,  that  should  hide  that  sight  from  some,  and  reveal 
it  to  others,  and  yet  expect  a  like  duty  from  both ;  but  I  shut  it  up,  and  checked  my 
thoughts  with  this  conclusion :  first,  That  we  did  not  know  by  what  light  and  law 
these  should  be  condemned ;  but  that  as  God  was  necessarily,  and,  by  the  nature  of 
His  being,  infinitely  holy  and  just,  so  it  could  not  be  but  if  these  creatures  were  all 
sentenced  to  absence  from  Himself,  it  was  on  account  of  sinning  against  that  light, 
which,  as  the  Scripture  says,  was  a  law  to  themselves,  and  by  such  rules  as  their 
consciences  would  acknowledge  to  be  just,  though  the  foundation  was  not  discovered 
to  us ;  and,  secondly,  That  still,  as  we  are  all  the  clay  in  the  hand  of  the  Potter,  no 
vessel  could  say  to  Him,  "Why  hast  Thou  formed  me  thus?  " 

But  to  return  to  my  new  companion :  I  was  greatly  delighted  with  him,  and 
made  it  my  business  to  teach  him  everything  that  was  proper  to  make  him  useful, 
handy,  and  helpful ;  but  especially  to  make  him  speak,  and  understand  me  when 
I  spoke ;  and  he  was  the  aptest  scholar  that  ever  was ;  and  particularly  was  so 
merry,  so  constantly  diligent,  and  so  pleased  when  he  could  but  understand  me, 
or  make  me  understand  him,  that  it  was  very  pleasant  to  me  to  talk  to  him.  And 
now  my  life  began  to  be  so  easy  that   I   began  to  say  to  myself,  that  could  I  but 


Friday  Taught  and  Trained.  151 

have  been  safe  from  more  savages,  I  cared  not  if  I  was  never  to  remove  from 
the  place  while  I  lived. 

After  I  had  been  two  or  three  days  returned  to  my  castle,  I  thought  that,  in 
order  to  bring  Friday  off  from  his  horrid  way  of  feeding,  and  from  the  relish  of 
a  cannibal's  stomach,  I  ought  to  let  him  taste  other  flesh ;  so  I  took  him  out  with 
me  one  morning  to  the  woods.  I  went,  indeed,  intending  to  kill  a  kid  out  of  my 
own  flock,  and  bring  it  home  and  dress  it ;  but  as  I  was  going,  I  saw  a  she-goat 
lying  down  in  the  shade,  and  two  young  kids  sitting  by  her.  I  catched  hold  of 
Friday :  "  Hold,"  said  I,  "  stand  still ;  "  and  made  signs  to  him  not  to  stir :  imme- 
diately I  presented  'my  piece,  shot,  and  killed  one  of  the  kids.  The  poor  creature, 
who  had,  at  a  distance,  indeed,  seen  me  kill  the  savage,  his  enemy,  but  did  not 
know  nor  could  imagine  how  it  was  done,  was  sensibly  surprised ;  trembled,  and 
shook,  and  looked  so  amazed  that  I  thought  he  would  have  sunk  down.  He  did 
not  see  the  kid  I  shot  at,  or  perceive  I  had  killed  it,  but  ripped  up  his  waistcoat,  to 
feel  whether  he  was  not  wounded ;  and,  as  I  found  presently,  thought  I  was  resolved 
-to  kill  him :  for  he  came  and  kneeled  down  to  me,  and  embracing  my  knees,  said  a 
great  many  things  I  did  not  understand ;  but  I  could  easily  see  the  meaning  was  to 
pray  me  not  to  kill  him. 

I  soon  found  a  way  to  convince  him  that  I  would  do  him  no  harm ;  and  taking 
him  up  by  the  hand,  laughed  at  him,  and  pointing  to  the  kid  which  I  had  killed, 
beckoned  to  him  to  run  and  fetch  it,  which  he  did ;  and  while  he  was  wondering, 
and  looking  to  see  how  the  creature  was  killed,  I  loaded  my  gun  again.  By  and  by 
I  saw  a  great  fowl,  like  a  hawk,  sitting  upon  a  tree  within  shot ;  so,  to  let  Friday 
understand  a  little  what  I  would  do,  I  called  him  to  me  again,  pointed  at 
the  fowl,  which  was  indeed  a  parrot,  though  I  thought  it  had  been  a  hawk  ;  I 
say,  pointing  to  the  parrot,  and  to  my  gun,  and  to  the  ground  under  the  parrot, 
to  let  him  see  I  would  make  it  fall,  I  made  him  understand  that  I  would  shoot 
and  kill  that  bird ;  accordingly,  I  fired,  and  bade  him  look,  and  immediately  he 
saw  the  parrot  fall.  He  stood  like  one  frightened  again,  notwithstanding  all  I  had 
said  to  him ;  and  I  found  he  was  the  more  amazed  because  he  did  not  see  me 
put  anything  into  the  gun,  but  thought  that  there  must  be  some  wonderful  fund 
of  death  and  destruction  in  that  thing,  able  to  kill  man,  beast,  bird,  or  anything 
near  or  far  off ;  and  the  astonishment  this  created  in  him  was  such  as  could  not 
wear  off  for  a  long  time  ;  and,  I  believe,  if  I  would  have  let  him,  he  would  have 
worshiped  me  and  my  gun.  As  for  the  gun  itself,  he  would  not  so  much  as 
touch  it  for  several  days  after ;  but  he  would  speak  to  it  and  talk  to  it,  as  if  it 
had  answered  him,  when  he  was  by  himself ;  which,  as  I  afterwards  learned  of 
him,  was  to  desire  it  not  to  kill  him.  Well,  after  his  astonishment  was  a  little  over 
at  this,  I  pointed  to  him  to  run  and  fetch  the  bird  I  had  shot,  which  he  did,  but 
stayed  some  time ;  for  the  parrot,  not  being  quite  dead,  had  fluttered  away  a 
good  distance  from  the  place  where  she  fell :  however,  he  found  her,  took  her  up, 
and  brought  her  to  me ;  and  as  I  had  perceived  his  ignorance  about  the  gun 
before,  I  took  this  advantage  to  charge  the  gun  again,  and  not  to  let  him  see  me  do 
it,  that  I  might  be  ready  for  any  other  mark  that  might  present ;    but  nothing  more 


152  Robinson  Crusoe. 

offered  at  that  time :  so  I  brought  home  the  kid,  and  the  same  evening  I  took 
the  skin  off,  and  cut  it  out  as  well  as  I  could ;  and  having  a  pot  fit  for  that  pur- 
pose, I  boiled  or  stewed  some  of  the  flesh,  and  made  some  very  good  broth. 
After  I  had  begun  to  eat  some,  I  gave  some  to  my  man,  who  seemed  very  glad 
of  it,  and  liked  it  very  well ;  but  that  which  was  strangest  to  him  was  to  see  me 
eat  salt  with  it.  He  made  a  sign  to  me  that  the  salt  was  not  good  to  eat ;  and, 
putting  a  little  into  his  own  mouth,  he  seemed  to  nauseate  it,  and  would  spit  and 
sputter  at  it,  washing  his  mouth  with  fresh  water  after  it :  on  the  other  hand,  I 
took  some  meat  into  my  mouth  without  salt ;  and  I  pretended  to  spit  and  sputter 
for  want  of  salt,  as  fast  as  he  had  done  at  the  salt ;  but  it  would  not  do ;  he 
would  never  care  for  salt  with  his  meat,  or  in  his  broth ;  at  least,  not  for  a  great 
while,  and  then  but  a  very  little. 

Having  thus  fed  him  with  boiled  meat  and  broth,  I  was  resolved  to  feast  him 
the  next  day  with  roasting  a  piece  of  the  kid :  this  I  did  by  hanging  it  before 
the  fire  on  a  string,  as  I  had  seen  many  people  do  in  England,  setting  two  poles 
up,  one  on  each  side  of  the  fire,  and  one  across  on  the  top,  and  tying  the  string 
to  the  cross-stick,  letting  the  meat  turn  continually.  This  Friday  admired  very 
much;  but  when  he  came  to  taste  the  flesh,  he  took  so  many  ways  to  tell  me 
how  well  he  liked  it,' that  I  could  not  but  understand  him:  and  at  last  he  told 
me,  as  well  as  he  could,  he  would  never  eat  man's  flesh  any  more,  which  I  was 
very  glad  to  hear. 

The  next  day  I  set  him  to  work  to  beating  some  corn  out,  and  sifting  it  in 
the  manner  I  used  to  do,  as  I  observed  before ;  and  he  soon  understood  how  to 
do  it  as  well  as  I,  especially  after  he  had  seen  what  the  meaning  of  it  was,  and 
that  it  was  to  make  bread  of ;  for  after  that  I  let  him  see  me  make  my  bread, 
and  bake  it,  too;  and  in  a  little  time  Friday  was  able  to  do  all  the  work  for 
me,  as  well  as  I  could  do  it  myself. 

I  began  now  to  consider  that,  having  two  mouths  to  feed  instead  of  one,  I 
must  provide  more  ground  for  my  harvest,  and  plant  a  larger  quantity  of  corn 
than  I  used  to  do ;  so  I  marked  out  a  larger  piece  of  land,  and  began  the  fence 
in  the  same  manner  as  before,  in  which  Friday  worked  not  only  very  willingly  and 
very  hard,  but  did  it  very  cheerfully :  and  I  told  him  what  it  was  for ;  that  it  was 
for  corn  to  make  more  bread,  because  he  was  now  with  me,  and  that  I  might 
have  enough  for  him  and  myself  too.  He  appeared  very  sensible  of  that  part,  and 
let  me  know  that  he  thought  I  had  much  more  labor  upon  me  on  his  account 
than  I  had  for  myself ;  and  that  he  would  work  the  harder  for  me,  if  I  would  tell 
him  what  to  do. 

This  was  the  pleasantest  year  of  all  the  life  I  led  in  this  place.  Friday  began 
to  talk  pretty  well,  and  understand  the  names  of  almost  everything  I  had  occasion 
to  call  for,  and  of  every  place  I  had  to  send  him  to,  and  talk  a  great  deal  to 
me;  so  that,  in  short,  I  began  now  to  have  some  use  for  my  tongue  again,  which, 
indeed,  I  had  very  little  occasion  for  before ;  that  is  to  say,  about  speech.  Be- 
sides the  pleasure  of  talking  to  him,  I  had  a  singular  satisfaction  in  the  fellow 
himself :   his  simple,  unfeigned  honesty  appeared  to  me  more  and  more  every  day, 


Conversation  cvith  Friday. 


*53 


and  I  began  really  to  love  the  creature ;   and  on  his  side  I  believe  he 
more  than  it  was  possible  for  him  ever  to  love  anything  before. 

I  had  a  mind  once  to  try  if  he  had  any 
hankering  inclination  to  his  own  country 
again ;  and  having  taught  him  English  so  well 
that  he  could  answer  me  almost  any  question, 
I  asked  him  whether  the  nation  that  he  be- 
longed to  never  conquered  in  battle.  At 
which  he  smiled,  and  said,  "  Yes,  yes,  we 
always  fight  the  better ;  "  that  is,  he  meant, 
always  get  the  better  in  fight ;  and  so  we  be- 
gan the  following  discourse  :  — 

Master. — You  always  fight  the  better ;  how 
came  you  to  be  taken  prisoner  then,  Friday? 

Friday. — My  nation  beat  much,  for  all  that. 


loved  me 


Master. — How  beat?  If 
your  nation  beat  them, 
how  came  you  to  be 
taken  ? 

Friday.  —  They  more 
many  than  my  nation,  in 
the  place  where  me  was ; 
they  take  one,  two,  three, 
and  me  :  my  nation  over- 
beat  them  in  the  yonder 
place,  where  me  no  was ; 
here  my  nation  take  one, 
two,  great  thousand. 

Master. — But  why  did 
not  your  side  recover  you  from  the  hands  of  your  enemies  then? 

Friday. — They  run,  one,  two,  three,  and  me,  and  make  me  go  in  the  canoe ;   my 
nation  have  no  canoe  that  time. 

Master. — Well,  Friday,  and  what  does  your  nation  do  with  the  men  they  take? 
Do  they  carry  them  away  and  eat  them,  as  these  did? 


I    PRESENTED    MY    PIECE"    {p.    151). 


154  RobiiVsoa7  Crusoe 

Friday. — Yes,  my  nation  eat  mans  too :    eat  all  up. 

Master. — Where  do  they  carry  them? 

Friday. — Go  to  other  place,  where  they  think. 

Master. — Do  they  come  hither? 

Friday. — Yes,  yes,  they  come  hither ;   come  other  else  place. 

Master. — Have  you  been  here  with  them? 

Friday. — Yes,  I  been  here  (points  to  the  N.W.  side  of  the  island,  which,  it 
seems,  was  their  side). 

By  this  I  understood  that  my  man  Friday  had  formerly  been  among  the  savages 
who  used  to  come  on  shore  on  the  farther  part  of  the  island,  on  the  said  man- 
eating  occasions  that  he  was  now  brought  for :  and,  some  time  after,  when  I  took 
the  courage  to  carry  him  to  that  side,  being  the  same  I  formerly  mentioned,  he 
presently  knew  the  place,  and  told  me  he  was  there  once,  when  they  ate  up  twenty 
men,  two  women,  and  one  child :  he  could  not  tell  twenty  in  English,  but  he 
numbered  them,  by  laying  so  many  stones  in  a  row,  and  pointing  to  me  to  tell 
them  over. 

I  have  told  this  passage  because  it  introduces  what  follows ;  that  after  this 
discourse  I  had  with  him,  I  asked  him  how  far  it  was  from  our  island  to  the 
shore,  and  whether  the  canoes  were  not  often  lost.  He  told  me  there  was  no 
danger ;  no  canoes  ever  lost ;  but  that  after  a  little  way  out  to  sea,  there  was  a 
current  and  wind,  always  one  way  in  the  morning,  the  other  in  the  afternoon. 
This  I  understood  to  be  no  more  than  the  sets  of  the  tide,  as  going  out  or  coming 
in  ;  but  I  afterwards  understood  it  was  occasioned  by  the  great  draft  and  reflux 
of  the  mighty  river  Oroonoko,  in  the  mouth  of  which  river,  as  I  thought  after- 
wards, our  island  lay ;  and  that  this  land  which  I  perceived  to  the  W.  and  N.W. 
was  the  great  island  Trinidad,  on  the  north  point  of  the  mouth  of  the  river.  I 
asked  Friday  a  thousand  questions  about  the  country,  the  inhabitants,  the  sea, 
the  coast,  and  what  nations  were  near :  he  told  me  all  he  knew,  with  the  greatest 
openness  imaginable.  I  asked  him  the  names  of  the  several  nations  of  his  sort  of 
people,  but  could  get  no  other  name  than  Caribs :  from  whence  I  easily  under- 
stood that  these  were  the  Caribbees,  which  our  maps  place  on  the  part  of  America 
which  reaches  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  Oroonoko  to  Guiana,  and  onwards  to 
St.  Martha.  He  told  me  that  up  a  great  way  beyond  the  moon  (that  wTas,  be- 
yond the  setting  of  the  moon,  which  must  be  west  from  their  country)  there 
dwelt  white  bearded  men,  like  me,  and  pointed  to  my  great  whiskers,  which  I 
mentioned  before ;  and  that  they  had  killed  much  mans — that  was  his  word :  by  all 
which  I  understood  he  meant  the  Spaniards,  whose  cruelties  in  America  had  been 
spread  over  the  whole  country,  and  were  remembered  by  all  the  nations,  from 
father  to  son. 

I  inquired  if  he  could  tell  me  how  I  might  come  from  this  island,  and  get 
among  those  white  men:  he  told  me,  "Yes,  yes,  I  might  go  in  two  canoe."  I 
could  not  understand  what  he  meant  by  "  two  canoe,"  till  at  last,  with  great  diffi- 
culty, I  found  he  meant  it  must  be  in  a  large,  great  boat,  as  big  as  two  canoes. 
This  part  of  Friday's  discourse  began  to  relish  with  me  very  well ;   and  from   this 


Rudiments  of  Religion.  155 

time  I  entertained  some  hopes  that,  one  time  or  other,  I  might  find  an  opportunity 
to  make  my  escape  from  this  place,  and  that  this  poor  savage  might  be  a  means 
to  help  me  to  do  it. 

During  the  long  time  that  Friday  had  now  been  with  me,  and  that  he  began 
to  speak  to  me,  and  understand  me,  I  was  not  wanting  to  lay  a  foundation  of 
religious  knowledge  in  his  mind ;  particularly  I  asked  him  one  time  who  made 
him.  The  poor  creature  did  not  understand  me  at  all,  but  thought  I  had  asked 
him  who  was  his  father :  but  I  took  it  by  another  handle,  and  asked  him  who 
made  the  sea,  the  ground  we  walked  on,  and  the  hills  and  woods.  He  told  me, 
"  It  was  one  Benamuckee,  that  lived  beyond  all ;  "  he  could  describe  nothing  of  this 
great  person,  but  that  he  was  very  old,  "much  older,"  he  said,  "than  the  sea  or  the 
land,  than  the  moon  or  the  stars."  I  asked  him,  then,  if  this  old  person  had  made  all 
things,  why  did  not  all  things  worship  him?  He  looked  very  grave,  and,  with  a 
perfect  look  of  innocence,  said,  "All  things  said  '  O  !  '  to  him."  I  asked  him  if  the 
people  who  die  in  his  country  went  away  anywhere.  He  said,  "  Yes  ;  they  all  went 
to  Benamuckee."  Then  I  asked  him  whether  those  they  ate  up  went  thither  too. 
He  said,  "  Yes." 

From  these  things  I  began  to  instruct  him  in  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God : 
I  told  him  that  the  great  Maker  of  all  things  lived  there,  pointing  up  towards 
heaven ;  that  He  governed  the  world  by  the  same  power  and  providence  by  which 
He  made  it ;  that  He  was  omnipotent,  and  could  do  everything  for  us,  give  every- 
thing to  us,  take  everything  from  us ;  and  thus,  by  degrees,  I  opened  his  eyes.  He 
listened  with  great  attention,  and  received  with  pleasure  the  notion  of  Jesus  Christ 
being  sent  to  redeem  us,  and  of  the  manner  of  making  our  prayers  to  God,  and 
His  being  able  to  hear  us,  even  into  heaven.  He  told  me  one  day,  that  if  our 
God  could  hear  us,  up  beyond  the  sun,  He  must  needs  be  a  greater  God  than 
their  Benamuckee,  who  lived  but  a  little  way  off,  and  yet  could  not  hear  till  they 
went  up  to  the  great  mountain  where  he  dwelt  to  speak  to  him.  I  asked  him  if 
ever  he  went  thither  to  speak  to  him.  He  said,  "  No ;  they  never  went  that  were 
young  men ;  none  went  thither  but  the  old  men,"  whom  he  called  their  Oowokakee  ; 
that  is,  as  I  made  him  explain  it' to  me,  their  religious,  or  clergy ;  and  that  they  went 
to  say  "  O  !  "  (so  he  called  saying  prayers)  and  then  came  back  and  told  them  what 
Benamuckee  said.  By  this  I  observed,  that  there  is  priestcraft  even  among  the  most 
blinded,  ignorant  pagans  in  the  world ;  and  the  policy  of  making  a  secret  of  religion, 
in  order  to  preserve  the  veneration  of  the  people  to  the  clergy,  is  not  only  to  be 
found  in  the  Roman,  but  perhaps  among  all  religions  in  the  world,  even  among 
the  most  brutish  and  barbarous  savages. 

I  endeavored  to  clear  up  this  fraud  to  my  man  Friday,  and  told  him  that  the 
pretense  of  their  old  men  going  up  to  the  mountains  to  say  "  O  !  "  to  their  god 
Benamuckee  was  a  cheat ;  and  their  bringing  word  from  thence  what  he  said  was 
much  more  so  ;  that  if  they  met  with  any  answer,  or  spoke  with  any  one  there, 
it  must  be  with  an  evil  spirit ;  and  then  I  entered  into  a  long  discourse  with 
him  about  the  devil,  the  original  of  him,  his  rebellion  against  God,  his  enmity  to 
man,  the  reason  of  it,  his  setting  himself  up  in  the  dark  parts  of  the  world  to  be 


156  Robinson  Crusoe. 

worshiped  instead  of  God,  and  as  God,  and  the  many  stratagems  he  made  use 
of  to  delude  mankind  to  their  ruin ;  how  he  had  a  secret  access  to  our  passions 
and  to  our  affections,  and  to  adapt  his  snares  to  our  inclinations,  so  as  to  cause 
us  even  to  be  our  own  tempters,  and  run  upon  our  own  destruction  by  our  own 
choice, 

I  found  it  was  not  so  easy  to  imprint  right  notions  in  his  mind  about  the 
devil  as  it  was  about  the  being  of  a  God ;  Nature  assisted  all  my  arguments  to 
evidence  to  him  even  the  necessity  of  a  great  First  Cause — an  overruling,  gov- 
erning Power — a  secret  directing  Providence ;  and  of  the  equity  and  justice  of 
paying  homage  to  Him  that  made  us,  and  the  like :  but  there  appeared  nothing 
of  this  kind  in  the  notion  of  an  evil  spirit;  of  his  original,  his  being,  his  nature; 
and,  above  all,  of  his  inclination  to  do  evil,  and  to  draw  us  in  to  do  so  too :  and 
the  poor  creature  puzzled  me  once  in  such  a  manner,  by  a  question  merely  natural 
and  innocent,  that  I  scarce  knew  what  to  say  to  him.  I  had  been  talking  a  great 
deal  to  him  of  the  power  of  God,  His  omnipotence,  His  aversion  to  sin,  His  being 
a  consuming  fire  to  the  workers  of  iniquity ;  how,  as  He  had  made  us  all,  He 
could  destroy  us  and  all  the  world  in  a  moment ;  and  he  listened  with  great 
seriousness  to  me  all  the  while.  After  this,  I  had  been  telling  him  how  the  devil 
was  God's  enemy  in  the  hearts  of  men,  and  used  all  his  malice  and  skill  to  defeat 
the  good  designs  of  Providence,  and  to  ruin  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  world, 
and  the  like.  "  Well,"  says  Friday,  "  but  you  say  God  is  so  strong,  so  great ;  is 
He  not  much  strong,  much  might  as  the  devil?"  "Yes,  yes,"  says  I,  "Friday, 
God  is  stronger  than  the  devil :  God  is  above  the  devil,  and  therefore  we  pray  to 
God  to  tread  him  down  under  our  feet,  and  to  enable  us  to  resist  his  temptations 
and  quench  his  fiery  darts."  "But,"  says  he  again,  "if  God  much  strong,  much 
might  as  the  devil,  why  God  no  kill  the  devil,  so  make  him  no  more  do  wicked?  " 
I  was  strangely  surprised  at  this  question ;  and  after  all,  though  I  was  now  an  old 
man,  yet  I  was  but  a  young  doctor,  and  ill  qualified  for  a  casuist,  or  a  solver  of 
difficulties ;  and  at  first  I  could  not  tell  what  to  say ;  so  I  pretended  not  to  hear 
him,  and  asked  him  what  he  said ;  but  he  was  too  earnest  for  an  answer  to  forget 
his  question,  so  that  he  repeated  it  in  the  very  same  broken  words  as  above.  By 
this  time  I  had  recovered  myself  a  little,  and  I  said,  "  God  will  at  last  punish 
him  severely ;  he  is  reserved  for  the  judgment,  and  he  is  to  be  cast  into  the 
bottomless  pit,  to  dwell  with  everlasting  fire."  This  did  not  satisfy  Friday ;  but  he 
returns  upon  me,  repeating  my  own  words,  "  'Reserve  at  last! '  me  no  understand : 
but  why  not  kill  the  devil  now;  not  kill  great  ago?  "  "You  may  as  well  ask  me," 
says  I,  "why  God  does  not  kill  you  or  me,  when  we  do  wicked  things  here  that 
offend  Him:  we  are  preserved  to  repent  and  be  pardoned."  He  muses  a  while  on 
this:  "Well,  well,"  says  he,  mightily  affectionately,  "that  well:  so  you,  I,  devil, 
all  wicked,  all  preserve,  repent,  God  pardon  all."  Here  I  was  run  down  by  him 
to  the  last  degree  •  and  it  was  a  testimony  to  me,  how  the  mere  notions  of 
Nature,  though  they  will  guide  reasonable  creatures  to  the  knowledge  of  a  God, 
and  of  a  worship  or  homage  due  to  the  supreme  being  of  God,  as  the  consequence 
of  our  nature,  yet  nothing  but  Divine  revelation  can  form  the  knowledge  of  Jesus 


An  Inquiring  Pupii. 


i57 


Christ,  and  of  redemption  purchased  for  us ;  of  a  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant, 
and  of  an  Intercessor  at  the  footstool  of  God's  throne ;  I  say,  nothing  but  a 
revelation  from  heaven  can  form  these  in  the  soul ;  and  that,  therefore,  the  gospel 
of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  I  mean  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  Spirit 
of  God,  promised  for  the  guide  and  sanctifier  of  His  people,  are  the  absolutely 
necessary  instructors  of  the  souls  of  men  in  the  saving  knowledge  of  God,  and  the 
means  of  salvation. 

I  therefore  diverted  the  present  discourse  between  me  and  my  man,  rising  up 


"I    ENTERED    INTO    A    LONG    DISCOURSE"    ( /.    155). 


hastily  as  upon  some  sudden  occasion  of  going  out ;  then  sending  him  for  some- 
thing a  good  way  off,  I  seriously  prayed  to  God  that  He  would  enable  me  to 
instruct  savingly  this  poor  savage  ;  assisting  by  His  Spirit  the  heart  of  the  poor 
ignorant  creature  to  receive  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  God  in  Christ,  reconciling 
him  to  Himself,  and  would  guide  me  to  speak  so  to  him  from  the  Word  of  God, 
that  his  conscience  might  be  convinced,  his  eyes  opened,  and  his  soul  saved. 
When  he  came  again  to  me,  I  entered  into  a  long  discourse  with  him  upon  the 
subject  of  the  redemption  of  man  by  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  gospel  preached  from  heaven — viz.,  of  repentance  towards  God, 
and  faith  in  our  blessed  Lord  Jesus.  I  then  explained  to  him  as  well  as  I  could 
why  our  blessed  Redeemer  took  not  on  Him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  the  seed  of 
Abraham  ;  and  how,  for  that  reason,  the  fallen  angels  had  no  share  in  the  redemp- 
tion ;   that  He  came  only  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  and  the  like. 


158  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  had,  God  knows,  more  sincerity  than  knowledge  in  all  the  methods  I  took 
for  this  poor  creature's  instruction,  and  must  acknowledge,  what  I  believe  all  that 
act  upon  the  same  principle  will  find,  that,  in  laying  things  open  to  him,  I  really 
informed  and  instructed  myself  in  many  things  that  I  either  did  not  know,  or  had 
not  fully  considered  before,  but  which  occurred  naturally  to  my  mind  upon  search- 
ing into  them,  for  the  information  of  this  poor  savage ;  and  I  had  more  affection 
in  my  inquiry  after  things  upon  this  occasion  than  ever  I  felt  before :  so  that, 
whether  this  poor  wild  wretch  was  the  better  for  me  or  no,  I  had  reason  to  be 
thankful  that  ever  he  came  to  me  ;  my  grief  sat  lighter  upon  me ;  my  habitation 
grew  comfortable  to  me  beyond  measure :  and  when  I  reflected  that  in  this 
solitary  life  which  I  had  been  confined  to,  I  had  not  only  been  moved  to  look 
up  to  heaven  myself,  and  to  seek  the  Hand  that  had  brought  me  here,  but  was 
now  to  be  made  an  instrument,  under  Providence,  to  save  the  life,  and,  for  aught 
I  know,  the  soul  of  a  poor  savage,  and  bring  him  to  the  true  knowledge  of 
religion,  and  of  the  Christian  doctrine,  that  he  might  know  Christ  Jesus,  to  know 
Whom  is  life  eternal ;  I  say,  when  I  reflected  upon  all  these  things,  a  secret  joy 
ran  through  every  part  of  my  soul,  and  I  frequently  rejoiced  that  ever  I  was 
brought  to  this  place,  which  I  had  so  often  thought  the  most  dreadful  of  all 
afflictions  that  could  possibly  have  befallen  me. 

In  this  thankful  frame  I  continued  all  the  remainder  of  my  time ;  and  the 
conversation  which  employed  the  hours  between  Friday  and  me  was  such  as  made 
the  three  years  which  we  lived  there  together  perfectly  and  completely  happy,  if 
any  such  thing  as  complete  happiness  can  be  found  in  a  sublunary  state.  This 
savage  was  now  a  good  Christian,  a  much  better  than  I  ;  though  I  have  reason 
to  hope,  and  bless  God  for  it,  that  we  were  equally  penitent,  and  comforted, 
restored  penitents.  We  had  here  the  Word  of  God  to  read,  and  no  farther  off 
from  His  Spirit  to  instruct  than  if  we  had  been  in  England.  I  always  applied 
myself,  in  reading  the  Scriptures,  to  let  him  know,  as  well  as  I  could,  the 
meaning  of  what  I  read ;  and  he  again,  by  his  serious  inquiries  and  questionings, 
made  me,  as  I  said  before,  a  much  better  scholar  in  the  Scripture  knowledge  than 
I  should  ever  have  been  by  my  own  mere  private  reading.  Another  thing  I  cannot 
refrain  from  observing  here  also,  from  experience  in  this  retired  part  of  my  life — 
viz.,  how  infinite  and  inexpressible  a  blessing  it  is  that  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  of  the  doctrine  of  salvation  by  Christ  Jesus,  is  so  plainly  laid  down  in  the 
Word  of  God,  so  easy  to  be  received  and  understood,  that,  as  the  bare  reading 
the  Scripture  made  me  capable  of  understanding  enough  of  my  duty  to  carry  me 
directly  on  to  the  great  work  of  sincere  repentance  for  my  sins,  and  of  laying 
hold  of  a  Saviour  for  life  and  salvation,  to  a  stated  reformation  in  practice,  and  obe- 
dience to  all  God's  commands,  and  this  without  any  teacher  or  instructor,  I  mean 
human  ;  so  the  same  plain  instruction  sufficiently  served  to  the  enlightening  this  savage 
creature,  and  bringing  him  to  be  such  a  Christian  as  I  have  known  few  equal  to  him 
in  my  life. 

A:,  to  the  disputes,  wrangling,  strife,  and  contention  which  have  happened  in 
the   world  about  religion,   whether    niceties    in    doctrines    or    schemes    of    church 


Frida  y  '  6-  Na  7  ION.  1 5  9 

government,  they  were  all  perfectly  useless  to  us,  and,  for  aught  I  can  yet  see,  they 
have  been  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  We  had  the  sure  guide  to  heaven,  viz.,  the 
Word  of  God ;  and  we  had,  blessed  be  God,  comfortable  views  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  teaching  and  instructing  us  by  His  Word,  leading  us  into  all  truth,  and 
making  us  both  willing  and  obedient  to  the  instruction  of  His  Word.  And  I 
cannot  see  the  least  use  that  the  greatest  knowledge  of  the  disputed  points  of 
religion,  which  have  made  such  confusions  in  the  world,  would  have  been  to  us, 
if  we  could  have  obtained  it ;  but  I  must  go  on  with  the  historical  part  of  things, 
and  take  every  part  in  its  order. 

After  Friday  and  I  became  more  intimately  acquainted,  and  that  he  could 
understand  almost  all  I  said  to  him,  and  speak  fluently,  though  in  broken  English, 
to  me,  I  acquainted  him  with  my  own  story,  or  at  least  so  much  of  it  as  related 
to  my  coming  into  this  place ;  how  I  had  lived  there,  and  how  long :  I  let  him 
into  the  mystery,  for  such  it  was  to  him,  of  gunpowder  and  bullet,  and  taught  him 
how  to  shoot.  I  gave  him  a  knife,  with  which  he  was  wonderfully  delighted ; 
and  I  made  him  a  belt,  with  a  frog  hanging  to  it,  such  as  in  England  we  wear 
hangers  in ;  and  in  the  frog,  instead  of  a  hanger,  I  gave  him  a  hatchet,  which 
was  not  only  as  good  a  weapon  in  some  cases,  but  much  more  useful  upon  many 
occasions. 

I  described  to  him  the  countries  of  Europe,  particularly  England,  which  I  came 
from;  how  we  lived,  how  we  worshiped  God,  how  we  behaved  to  one  'another, 
and  how  we  traded  in  ships  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  I  gave  him  an  account 
of  the  wreck  which  I  had  been  on  board  of,  and  showed  him,  as  near  as  I  could, 
the  place  where  she  lay :  but  she  was  all  beaten  in  pieces  long  before,  and  quite 
gone.  I  showed  him  the  ruins  of  our  boat,  which  we  lost  when  we  escaped,  and 
which  I  could  not  stir  with  my  whole  strength  then,  but  was  now  fallen  almost 
all  to  pieces.  Upon  seeing  this  boat,  Friday  stood  musing  a  great  while,  and  said 
nothing.  I  asked  him  what  it  was  he  studied  upon.  At  last,  says  he,  "  Me 
see  such  boat  like  come  to  place  at  my  nation."  I  did  not  understand  him 
a  good  while ;  but  at  last,  when  I  had  examined  further  into  it,  I  understood 
by  him  that  a  boat,  such  as  that  had  been,  came  on  shore  upon  the  country 
where  he  lived ;  that  is,  as  he  explained  it,  was  driven  thither  by  stress  of 
weather.  I  presently  imagined  that  some  European  ship  must  have  been  cast  away 
upon  their  coast,  and  the  boat  might  get  loose  and  drive  ashore ;  but  was  so 
dull  that  I  never  once  thought  of  men  making  their  escape  from  a  wreck  thither, 
much  less  whence  they  might  come :  so  I  only  inquired  after  the  description  of 
the  boat. 

Friday  described  the  boat  to  me  well  enough ;  but  brought  me  better  to  under- 
stand him  when  he  added  with  some  warmth,  "We  save  the  white  .mans  from 
drown."  Then  I  presently  asked  if  there  were  any  white  mans,  as  he  called  them, 
in  the  boat.  "  Yes,"  he  said ;  "  the  boat  full  of  white  mans."  I  asked  him  how 
many.  He  told  upon  his  fingers  seventeen.  I  asked  him  then  what  became  of 
them.      He  told  me,  "  They  live,  they  dwell  at  my  nation." 

This  put  new  thoughts  into  my  head ;   for  I  presently  imagined  that  these  might 


160  Robinson  Crusoe. 

be  the  men  belonging  to  the  ship  that  was  cast  away  in  the  sight  of  my  island, 
as  I  now  called  it ;  and  who,  after  the  ship  was  struck  on  the  rock  and  they  saw 
her  inevitably  lost,  had  saved  themselves  in  their  boat,  and  were  landed  upon  that 
wild  shore  among  the  savages.  Upon  this  I  inquired  of  him  more  critically  what 
had  become  of  them.  He  assured  me  they  lived  still  there ;  that  they  had  been 
there  about  four  years ;  that  the  savages  left  them  alone,  and  gave  them  victuals 
to  live.  I  asked  him  how  it  came  to  pass  that  they  did  not  kill  them  and  eat 
them.  He  said,  "  No,  they  make  brother  with  them;"  that  is,  as  I  understood 
him,  a  truce ;  and  then  he  added,  "  They  no  eat  mans  but  when  make  the  war- 
fight  ;  "  that  is  to  say,  they  never  eat  any  men  but  such  as  come  to  fight  with  them, 
and  are  taken  in  battle. 

It  was  after  this  some  considerable  time,  that  being  upon  the  top  of  the  hill,  at 
the  east  side  of  the  island,  from  whence,  as  I  have  said,  I  had,  in  a  clear  day, 
discovered  the  main  or  continent  of  America,  Friday,  the  weather  being  very 
serene,  looks  very  earnestly  towards  the  mainland,  and,  in  a  kind  of  surprise,  falls 
a-jumping  and  dancing,  and  calls  out  to  me,  for  I  was  at  some  distance  from  him. 
I  asked  him  what  was  the  matter.  "  Oh,  joy  !  "  says  he  ;  "  oh,  glad  !  there  see  my 
country,  there  my  nation  !  "  I  observed  an  extraordinary  sense  of  pleasure  appeared 
in  his  face,  and  his  eyes  sparkled,  and  his  countenance  discovered  a  strange  eagerness, 
as  if  he  had  a  mind  to  be  in  his  own  country  again.  This  observation  of  mine 
put  a  great  many  thoughts  into  me,  which  made  me,  at  first,  not  so  easy  about 
my  new  man  Friday  as  I  was  before ;  and  I  made  no  doubt  but  that,  if  Friday 
could  get  back  to  his  own  nation  again,  he  would  not  only  forget  all  his  religion, 
but  all  his  obligation  to  me,  and  would  be  forward  enough  to  give  his  countrymen 
an  account  of  me,  and  come  back,  perhaps,  with  a  hundred  or  two  of  them,  and 
make  a  feast  upon  me,  at  which  he  might  be  as  merry  as  he  used  to  be  with  those 
of  his  enemies  when  they  were  taken  in  war.  But  I  wronged  the  poor,  honest 
creature  very  much,  for  which  I  was  very  sorry  afterwards.  However,  as  my  jealousy 
increased,  and  held  me  some  weeks,  I  was  a  little  more  circumspect,  and  not  so 
familiar  and  kind  to  him  as  before  ;  in  which  I  was  certainly  in  the  wrong  too  ;  the 
honest,  grateful  creature  having  no  thought  about  it  but  what  consisted  with  the  best 
principles  both  as  a  religious  Christian  and  as  a  grateful  friend ;  as  appeared  after- 
wards to  my  full  satisfaction. 

While  my  jealousy  of  him  lasted,  you  may  be  sure  I  was  every  day  pumping  him, 
to  see  if  he  would  discover  any  of  the  new  thoughts  which  I  suspected  were  in  him ; 
but  I  found  everything  he  said  was  so  honest  and  so  innocent,  that  I  could  find  noth- 
ing to  nourish  my  suspicion ;  and,  in  spite  of  all  my  uneasiness,  he  made  me  at  last 
entirely  his  own  again  ;  nor  did  he  in  the  least  perceive  that  I  was  uneasy,  and 
therefore  I  could  not  suspect  him  of  deceit. 

One  day,  walking  up  the  same  hill,  but  the  weather  being  hazy  at  sea,  so  that 
we  could  not  see  the  continent,  I  called  to  him,  and  said,  "  Friday,  do  not  you  wish 
yourself  in  your  own  country,  your  own  nation?"  "Yes,"  he  said,  "I  be  much 
O  glad  to  be  at  my  own  nation."  "What  would  you  do  there?  "  said  I :  "would 
you  turn  wild  again,  eat  men's  flesh  again,  and  be  a  savage,  as  you  were  before?" 


Plans  for  Leaving  the  Island. 


161 


He  looked  full  of  concern,  and.  shaking  his  head,  said,  "  No,  no ;  Friday  tell  them 
to  live  good ;  tell  them  to  pray  God ;  tell  them  to  eat  corn-bread,  cattle-flesh,  milk ; 
no  eat  man  again."  "Why,  then,"  said  I  to  him,  "they  will  kill  you."  He  looked 
grave  at  that,  and  then  said,  "No,  no;  they  no  kill  me,  they  willing  love  learn." 
He  meant  by  this,  they  would  be  willing  to  learn.  He  added,  they  learned  much 
of  the  "  bearded  mans  "  that  came  in  the  boat.  Then  I  asked  him  if  he  would  go 
back  to   them.     He   smiled  at   that,  and  told  me  he  could  not  swim  so  far.     I 

told  him  I  would  make  a  canoe  for  him.  He  told 
me  he  would  go,  if  I  would  go  with  him.  "  I  go  !  " 
says  I ;  "  why,  they  will  eat  me  if  I  come  there." 
"No,  no,"  says  he,  "me  make  them  no  eat  you; 
me    make  them  much    love  you."     He  meant,  he 


Im^W^s 


UPON    SEEING   THIS    BOAT,    FRIDAY    STOOD    MUSING 
A    GREAT    WHILE"    (/.    159). 


would    tell    them    how    1 

had    killed     his    enemies, 

and   saved    his    life,   and 

so  he  would  make   them 

love    me.     Then    he    told   me,    as 

well    as  he  could,  how  kind    they 

were    to   seventeen  white  men,  or 

bearded  men,  as  he  called  them, 

who  came  on  shore  in  distress. 

From    this    time,    I   confess,    I 
had  a  mind  to  venture  over,  and 

see  if  I  could  possibly  join  with  those  bearded  men,  who,  I  made  no  doubt,  were 
Spaniards  or  Portuguese ;  not  doubting  but,  if  I  could,  we  might  find  some  method 
to  escape  from  thence,  being  upon  the  continent,  and  a  good  company  together, 
better  than  I  could  from  an  island  forty  miles  off  the  shore,  alone,  and  without 
help.  So,  after  some  days,  I  took  Friday  to  work  again,  by  way  of  discourse,  and 
told  him  I  would  give  him  a  boat  to  go  back  to  his  own  nation ;  and  I,  accordingly, 
carried  him  to  my  frigate,  which  lay  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  and  having 
cleared  it  of  water  (for  I  always  kept  it  sunk  in  the  water),  I  brought  it  out, 
showed  it  him,  and  we  both  went  into  it.  I  found  he  was  a  most  dexterous 
fellow  at  managing  it,  and  would  make  it  go  almost  as  swift  and  fast  again  as  I 
could.     So  when  he  was  in,  I  said  to  him,  "  Well,  now,   Friday,  shall  we  go  to 


1 62  Robinson  Crusoe. 

your  nation?  "  He  looked  very  dull  at  my  saying  so  ;  which  it  seems  was  because 
he  thought  the  boat  too  small  to  go  so  far.  I  then  told  him  I  had  a  bigger ;  so 
the  next  day  I  went  to  the  place  where  the  first  boat  lay  which  I  had  made,  but 
which  I  could  not  get  into  the  water.  He  said  that  was  big  enough ;  but  then, 
as  I  had  taken  no  care  of  it,  and  it  had  lain  two  or  three  and  twenty  years  there, 
the  sun  had  split  and  dried  it,  that  it  was  rotten.  Friday  told  me  that  such  a 
boat  would  do  very  well,  and  would  carry  "much  enough  vittle,  drink,  bread;" — 
that  was  his  way  of  talking. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  was  by  this  time  so  fixed  upon  my  design  of  going  over 
with  him  to  the  continent,  that  I  told  him  we  would  go  and  make  one  as  big  as 
that,  and  he  should  go  home  in  it.  He  answered  not  one  word,  but  looked  very 
grave  and  sad.  I  asked  him  what  was  the  matter  with  him.  He  asked  me 
again,  "  Why  you  angry  mad  with  Friday? — what  me  done?"  I  asked  him  what 
he  meant.  I  told  him  I  was  not  angry  with  him  at  all.  "  No  angry  !  "  says  he, 
repeating  the  words  several  times;  "why  send  Friday  home  away  to  my  nation?  " 
"Why,"  says  I,  "Friday,  did  not  you  say  you  wished  you  were  there?"  "Yes, 
yes,"  says  he,  "  wish  we  both  there ;  no  wish  Friday  there,  no  master  there."  In 
a  word,  he  would  not  think  of  going  there  without  me.  "I  go  there,  Friday?" 
says  I;  "what  shall  I  do  there?"  He  turned  very  quick  upon  me  at  this. 
"  You  do  great  deal  much  good,"  says  he ;  "  you  teach  wild  mans  be  good,  sober, 
tame  mans ;  you  tell  them  know  God,  pray  God,  and  live  new  life."  "  Alas, 
Friday  !  "  says  I,  "  thou  knowest  not  what  thou  sayest ;  I  am  but  an  ignorant  man 
myself."  "Yes,  yes,"  says  he,  "you  teachee  me  good,  you  teachee  them  good." 
"  No,  no,  Friday,"  says  I,  "  you  shall  go  without  me ;  leave  me  here  to  live  by 
myself,  as  I  did  before."  He  looked  confused  again  at  that  word;  and  running 
to  one  of  the  hatchets  which  he  used  to  wear,  he  takes  it  up  hastily,  and  gives  it 
to  me.  "What  must  I  do  with  this?"  says  I  to  him.  "You  take  kill  Friday," 
says  he.  "What  must  I  kill  you  for?"  said  I  again.  He  returns  very  quick — 
"What  you  send  Friday  away  for?  Take  kill  Friday,  no  send  Friday  away." 
This  he  spoke  so  earnestly  that  I  saw  tears  stand  in  his  eyes.  In  a  word,  I  so 
plainly  discovered  the  utmost  affection  in  him  to  me,  and  a  firm  resolution  in  him, 
that  I  told  him  then,  and  often  after,  that  I  would  never  send  him  away  from  me, 
if  he  was  willing  to  stay  with  me. 

Upon  the  whole,  as  I  found  by  all  his  discourse  a  settled  affection  to  me,  and 
that  nothing  could  part  him  from  me,  so  I  found  all  the  foundation  of  his  desire 
to  go  to  his  own  country  was  laid  in  his  ardent  affection  to  the  people,  and  his 
hopes  of  my  doing  them  good :  a  thing  which,  as  I  had  no  notion  of  myself,  so 
I  had  not  the  least  thought,  or  intention,  or  desire  of  undertaking  it.  But  still 
I  found  a  strong  inclination  to  my  attempting  an  escape,  founded  on  the  supposi- 
tion gathered  from  the  former  discourse,  that  there  were  seventeen  bearded  men 
there ;  and  therefore,  without  any  more  delay,  I  went  to  work  with  Friday  to  find 
out  a  great  tree  proper  to  fell,  and  make  a  large  periagua,  or  canoe,  to  undertake 
the  voyage.  There  were  trees  enough  in  the  island  to  have  built  a  little  fleet, 
not  of  periaguas  or  canoes,  but  even  of  good  large  vessels ;  but  the  main  thing  I 


A  New  Canoe  Made.  163 

looked  at  was,  to  g<_.  <  ue  so  near  the  water  that  we  might  launch  it  when  it  was 
made,  to  avoid  the  mistake  I  committed  at  first.  At  last,  Friday  pitched  upon  a 
tree ;  for  I  found  he  k;  ew  much  better  than  I  what  kind  of  wood  was  fittest  for 
it ;  nor  can  I  tell,  to  this  day,  what  wood  to  call  the  tree  we  cut  down,  except 
that  it  was  very  like  the  tree  we  call  fustic,  or  between  that  and  the  Nicaragua 
wood,  for  it  was  much  of  the  same  color  and  smell.  Friday  was  for  burning 
the  hollow  or  cavity  of  this  tree  out,  to  make  it  into  a  boat,  but  I  showed  him 
how  rather  to  cut  it  with  tools ;  which,  after  I  had  showed  him  how  to  use,  he 
did  very  handily ;  and  in  about  a  month's  hard  labor,  we  finished  it  and  made  it 
very  handsome ;  especially  when,  with  our  axes,  which  I  showed  him  how  to 
handle,  we  cut  and  hewed  the  outside  into  the  true  shape  of  a  boat.  After  this, 
however,  it  cost  us  near  a  fortnight's  time  to  get  her  along,  as  it  were,  inch  by 
inch,  upon  great  rollers  into  the  water ;  but  when  she  was  in,  she  would  have 
carried  twenty  men  with  great  ease. 

When  she  was  in  the  water,  though  she  was  so  big,  it  amazed  me  to  see  with 
what  dexterity  and  how  swift  my  man  Friday  could  manage  her,  turn  her,  and 
paddle  her  along.  So  I  asked  him  if  he  would,  and  if  we  might  venture  over  in 
her.  "Yes,"  he  said;  "we  venture  over  in  her  very  well,  though  great  blow  wind." 
However,  I  had  a  farther  design  that  he  knew  nothing  of,  and  that  was  to  make 
a  mast  and  a  sail,  and  to  fit  her  with  an  anchor  and  cable.  As  to  a  mast,  that 
was  easy  .enough  to  get ;  so  I  pitched  upon  a  straight  young  cedar-tree,  which  I 
found  near  the  place,  and  which  there  was  great  plenty  of  in  the  island,  and  I  set 
Friday  to  work  to  cut  it  down,  and  gave  him  directions  how  to  shape  and  order 
it.  But  as  to  the  sail,  that,  was  my  particular  care.  I  knew  I  had  old  sails,  or 
rather  pieces  of  old  sails,  enough ;  but  as  I  had  had  them  now  six-and-twenty 
years  by  me,  and  had  not  been  very  careful  to  preserve  them,  not  imagining  that 
I  should  ever  have  this  kind  of  use  for  them,  I  did  not  doubt  but  they  were  all 
rotten ;  and,  indeed,  most  of  them  were  so.  However,  I  found  two  pieces 
which  appeared  pretty  good,  and  with  these  I  went  to  work ;  and  with  a 
great  deal  of  pains,  and  awkward,  tedious  stitching,  you  may  be  sure,  for  want  of 
needles,  I  at  length  made  a  three-cornered,  ugly  thing,  like  what  we  call  in  England 
a  shoulder-of-mutton  sail,  to  go  with  a  boom  at  bottom,  and  a  little  short  sprit 
at  the  top,  such  as  usually  our  ships'  long-boats  sail  with,  and  such  as  I  best  knew 
how  to  manage,  because  it  was  such  a  one  as  I  used  in  the  boat  in  which  I 
made  my  escape  from  Barbary,  as  related  in  the  first  part  of  my  story. 

I  was  near  two  months  performing  this  last  work — viz.,  rigging  and  fitting  my 
mast  and  sails ;  for  I  finished  them  very  complete,  making  a  small  stay,  and  a 
sail  or  foresail  to  it,  to  assist  if  we  should  turn  to  windward  ;  and,  which  was  more 
than  all,  I  fixed  a  rudder  to  the  stern  of  her  to  steer  with.  And  though  I 
was  but  a  bungling  shipwright,  yet  as  I  knew  the  usefulness,  and  even  the  neces- 
sity of  such  a  thing,  I  applied  myself  with  so  much  pains  to  do  it,  that  at  last  I 
brought  it  to  pass ;  though,  considering  the  many  dull  contrivances  I  had  for  it  that 
failed,  I  think  it  cost  me  almost  as  much  labor  as  making  the  boat. 

After  all  this  was  done,  I  had  my  man   Friday  to   teach  as  to  what  belonged 


1 64 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


to  the  navigation  of  my  boat ;   for,  though  he  knew  very  well  how  to  paddle  the 

canoe,  he  knew  nothing  of  what  belonged  to  a  sail 
and  a  rudder ;  and  was  the  most  amazed  when  he 
saw  me  work  the  boat  to  and  again  in  the  sea  by 
the  rudder,  and  how  the  sail  jibbed,  and  filled  this 
way  or  that  way,  as  the  course  we  sailed  changed ;  I 
say,  when  he  saw  his,  he  stood  like  one  astonished 
and  amazed.  However,  with  a  little  use,  I  made  all 
these  things  familiar  to  him,  and  he  became  an  expert 
sailor,  except  that  as  to  the  compass  I 
could  make  him  understand  very  little  of 
that.  On  the  other  hand,  as  there  was 
very  little  cloudy  weather,  and  seldom  or 
never  any  fogs  in  those  parts,  there  was 
the  less  occasion  for  the  compass,  seeing 
the  stars  were  always  to  be  seen  by  night, 
and  the  shore  by  day,  except  in  the  rainy 


seasons,   and    then  *• 

nobody  cared  to 
stir  abroad  either 
by  land  or  sea. 

I    was    now    entered    on 
the  seven-and-twentieth  year 
of  my  captivity  in  this  place  ; 
though    the  three  last  years 
that  I  had  this  creature  with  me  ought 
rather  to  be  left  out  of  the  account, 
my  habitation  being  quite  of  another 
kind  than  in  all  the  rest  of  my  time. 
I  kept  the  anniversary  of  my  landing 
here    with    the    same    thankfulness    to 
God  for  His  mercies  as  at  first ;   and 

if  I  had  such  cause  of  acknowledgment  at  first,  I  had  much  more  so  now,  having 
such  additional  testimonies  of  the  care  of  Providence  over  me,  and  the  great  hopes 


INCH  BY  INCH  UPON  GREAT  ROLLERS  "  {p.    163). 


Savages  Again.  165 

I  had  of  being  effectually  and  speedily  delivered ;  for  I  had  an  invincible  im- 
pression upon  my  thoughts  that  my  deliverance  was  at  hand,  and  that  I  should  not 
be  another  year  in  this  place.  However,  I  went  on  with  my  husbandry ;  digging, 
planting,  and  fencing,  as  usual.  I  gathered  and  cured  my  grapes,  and  did  every 
necessary  thing  as  before. 

The  rainy  season  was  in  the  meantime  upon  me,  when  I  kept  more  within 
doors  than  at  other  times.  I  had  stowed  our  new  vessel  as  secure  as  we  could, 
bringing  her  up  into  the  creek,  where,  as  I  said  in  the  beginning,  I  landed  my 
rafts  from  the  ship ;  and  hauling  her  up  to  the  shore  at  high-water  mark,  I  made 
my  man  Friday  dig  a  little  dock,  just  big  enough  to  hold  her,  and  just  deep 
enough  to  give  her  water  enough  to  float  in ;  and  then,  when  the  tide  was  out,  we 
made  a  strong  dam  across  the  end  of  it,  to  keep  the  water  out ;  and  so  she  lay 
dry  as  to  the  tide  from  the  sea ;  and  to  keep  the  rain  off,  we  laid  a  great  many 
boughs  of  trees,  so  thick  that  she  was  as  well  thatched  as  a  house ;  and  thus  we 
waited  for  the  months  of  November  and  December,  in  which  I  designed  to  make 
my  adventure. 

When  the  settled  season  began  to  come  in,  as  the  thought  of  my  design 
returned  with  the  fair  weather,  I  was  preparing  daily  for  the  voyage.  And  the 
first  thing  I  did  was  to  lay  by  a  certain  quantity  of  provisions,  being  the  stores 
for  our  voyage ;  and  intended,  in  a  week  or  a  fortnight's  time,  to  open  the  dock, 
and  launch  put  our  boat.  I  was  busy  one  morning  upon  something  of  this  kind, 
when  I  called  to  Friday,  and  bid  him  go  to  the  sea-shore,  and  see  if  he  could 
find  a  turtle  or  tortoise,  a  thing  which  we  generally  got  once  a  week,  for  the  sake 
of  the  eggs,  as  well  as  the  flesh.  Friday  had  not  been  gone  long  when  he  came 
running  back,  and  flew  over  my  outer  wall,  or  fence,  like  one  that  felt  not  the 
ground,  or  the  steps  he  set  his  feet  on ;  and  before  I  had  time  to  speak  to  him, 
he  cries  out  to  me,  "O  master!  O  master!  O  sorrow!  O  bad!"  "What's  the 
matter,  Friday?"  said  I.  "Oh!  yonder,  there,"  says  he;  "one,  two,  three 
canoes ;  one,  two,  three  !  "  By  this  way  of  speaking,  I  concluded  there  were  six ; 
but  on  inquiry  I  found  there  were  but  three.  "  Well,  Friday,"  says  I,  "  do  not 
be  frightened."  So  I  heartened  him  up  as  well  as  I  could.  However,  I  saw  the 
poor  fellow  was  most  terribly  scared,  for  nothing  ran  in  his  head  but  that  they 
were  come  back  to  look  for  him,  and  would  cut  him  in  pieces,  and  eat  him ;  and 
the  poor  fellow  trembled  so  that  I  scarcely  knew  what  to  do  with  him.  I  com- 
forted him  as  well  as  I  could,  and  told  him  I  was  in  as  much  danger  as  he,  and 
that  they  would  eat  me  as  well  as  him.  "  But,"  said  I,  "  Friday,  we  must  resolve  to 
fight  them.  Can  you  fight,  Friday?"  "Me  shoot,"  says  he;  "but  there  come 
many  great  number."  "  No  matter  for  that,"  said  I,  again ;  "  our  guns  will  fright 
them  that  we  do  not  kill."  So  I  asked  him  whether,  if  I  resolved  to  defend  him, 
he  would  defend  me,  and  stand  by  me,  and  do  just  as  I  bid  him.  He  said, 
"  Me  die,  when  you  bid  die,  master."  So  I  went  and  fetched  a  good  dram  of 
rum  and  gave  him  ;  for  I  had  been  so  good  a  husband  of  my  rum,  that  I  had  a 
great  deal  left.  When  he  had  drunk  it,  I  made  him  take  the  two  fowling-pieces, 
which  we   always  carried,   and  load    them  with  large    swan-shot    as   big   as   small 


t66  Robinson  Crusoe. 

pistol-bullets.  Then  I  took  four  muskets,  and  loaded  them  with  two  slugs  and 
five  small  bullets  each ;  and  my  two  pistols  I  loaded  with  a  brace  of  bullets  each. 
I  hung  my  great  sword,  as  usual,  naked  by  my  side,  and  gave  Friday  his  hatchet. 
When  I  had  thus  prepared  myself,  I  took  my  perspective  glass,  and  went  up  to 
the  side  of  the  hill,  to  see  what  I  could  discover ;  and  I  found  quickly  by  my 
glass  that  there  were  one-and-twenty  savages,  three  prisoners,  and  three  canoes ; 
and  that  their  whole  business  seemed  to  be  the  triumphant  banquet  upon  these 
three  human  bodies :  a  barbarous  feast  indeed,  but  nothing  more  than,  as  I  had 
observed,  was  usual  with  them.  I  observed  also  that  they  landed  not  where  they 
had  done  when  Friday  made  his  escape,  but  nearer  to  my  creek,  where  the  shore 
was  low,  and  where  a  thick  wood  came  close  almost  down  to  the  sea.  This,  with 
the  abhorrence  of  the  inhuman  errand  these  wretches  came  about,  filled  me  with 
such  indignation  that  I  came  down  again  to  Friday,  and  told  him  I  was  resolved 
to  go  down  to  them,  and  kill  them  all ;  and  asked  him  if  he  would  stand  by  me. 
He  had  now  got  over  his  fright,  and  his  spirits  being  a  little  raised  with  the  dram 
I  had  given  him,  he  was  very  cheerful,  and  told  me,  as  before,  he  would  die 
when  I  bid  die. 

In  this  bit  of  fury  I  took  first  and  divided  the  arms  which  I  had  charged,  as 
before,  between  us ;  I  gave  Friday  one  pistol  to  stick  in  his  girdle,  and  three 
guns  upon  his  shoulder,  and  I  took  one  pistol  and  the  other  three  myself ;  and 
in  this  posture  we  marched  out.  I  took  a  small  bottle  of  rum  in  my  pocket, 
and  gave  Friday  a  large  bag  with  more  powder  and  bullets  ;  and  as  to  orders,  I 
charged  him  to  keep  close  behind  me,  and  not  to  stir,  or  shoot,  or  do  anything  till  I 
bid  him,  and  in  the  meantime  not  to  speak  a  word.  In  this  posture  I  fetched  a  com- 
pass to  my  right  hand  of  near  a  mile,  as  well  to  get  over  the  creek  as  to  get  into 
the  wood,  so  that  I  might  come  within  shot  of  them  before  I  should  be  discovered, 
which  I  had  seen  by  my  glass  it  was  easy  to  do. 

While  I  was  making  this  march,  my  former  thoughts  returning,  I  began  to 
abate  my  resolution — I  do  not  mean  that  I  entertained  any  fear  of  their  number, 
for,  as  they  were  naked,  unarmed  wretches,  it  is  certain  I  was  superior  to  them — 
nay,  though  I  had  been  alone.  But  it  occurred  to  my  thoughts,  what  call,  what 
occasion,  much  less  what  necessity,  I  was  in  to  go  and  dip  my  hands  in  blood, 
to  attack  people  who  had  neither  done  nor  intended  me  any  wrong? — who,  as  to 
me,  were  innocent,  and  whose  barbarous  customs  were  their  own  disaster,  being  in 
them  a  token,  indeed,  of  God's  having  left  them,  with  the  other  nations  of  that 
part  of  the  world,  to  such  stupidity,  and  to  such  inhuman  courses,  but  did  not 
call  me  to  take  upon  me  to  be  a  judge  of  their  actions,  much  less  an  executioner 
of  His  justice — that  whenever  He  thought  fit  He  would  take  the  cause  into  His 
own  hands,  and  by  national  vengeance  punish  them  for  national  crimes ;  but  that, 
in  the  meantime,  it  was  none  of  my  business — that  it  was  true  Friday  might  justify 
it,  because  he  was  a  declared  enemy,  and  in  a  state  of  war  with  those  very 
particular  people,  and  it  was  lawful  for  him  to  attack  them ;  but  I  could  not  say 
the  same  with  regard  to  myself.  These  things  were  so  warmly  pressed  upon  my 
thoughts  all  the  way  as  I  went,  that   I   resolved   I  would   only  go   and  place  myself 


Attack  on  the  Savages.  167 

near  them  that  I  might  observe  their  barbarous  feast,  and  that  I  would  act  then 
as  God  should  direct ;  and  that  unless  something  offered  that  was  more  a  call  to 
me  than  yet  I  knew  of,  I  would  not  meddle  with  them. 

AVith  this  resolution  I  entered  the  wood,  and  with  all  possible  wariness  and 
silence,  Friday  following  close  at  my  heels,  I  marched  till  I  came  to  the  skirt  of 
the  wood  on  the  side  which  was  next  to  them,  only  that  one  corner  of  the  wood 
lay  between  me  and  them.  Here  I  called  softly  to  Friday,  and  showing  him  a 
great  tree  which  was  just  at  the  corner  of  the  wood,  I  bade  him  go  to  the  tree, 
and  bring  me  word  if  he  could  see  there  plainly  what  they  were  doing.  He  did 
so,  and  came  immediately  back  to  me,  and  told  me  they  might  be  plainly  viewed 
there — that  they  were  all  about  their  fire  eating  the  flesh  of  one  of  their  prisoners, 
and  that  another  lay  bound  upon  the  sand  a  little  from  them,  whom  he  said  they 
would  kill  next ;  and  this  fired  the  very  soul  within  me.  He  told  me  it  was  not 
one  of  their  nation,  but  one  of  the  bearded  men  whom  he  had  told  me  of,  that 
came  to  their  country  in  the  boat.  I  was  filled  with  horror  at  the  very  naming  of 
the  white  bearded  man ;  and  going  to  the  tree,  I  saw  plainly  by  my  glass  a  white 
man,  who  lay  upon  the  beach  of  the  sea  with  his  hands  and  his  feet  tied  with  flags, 
or  things  like  rushes,  and  that  he  was  a  European,  and  had  clothes  on. 

There  was  another  tree,  and  a  little  thicket  beyond  it,  about  fifty  yards  nearer 
to  the  place  where  I  was,  which,  by  going  a  little  way  about,  I  saw  I  might  come 
at  undiscovered,  and  that  then  I  should  be  within  half  a  shot  of  them ;  so  I  with- 
held my  passion,  though  I  was  indeed  enraged  to  the  highest  degree ;  and  going 
back  about  twenty  paces,  I  got  behind  some  bushes,  which  held  all  the  way  till  I 
came  to  the  other  tree,  and  then  came  to  a  little  rising  ground,  which  gave  me  a 
full  view  of  them  at  the  distance  of  about  eighty  yards. 

I  had  now  not  a  moment  to  lose,  for  nineteen  of  the  dreadful  wretches  sat 
on  the  ground,  all  close  huddled  together,  and  had  just  sent  the  other  two  to 
butcher  the  poor  Christian,  and  bring  him,  perhaps  limb  by  limb,  to  their  fire,  and 
they  were  stooping  clown  to  untie  the  bands  at  his  feet.  I  turned  to  Friday ; 
"Now,  Friday,"  said  I,  "do  as  I  bid  thee."  Friday  said  he  would.  "Then, 
Friday,"  said  I,  "do  exactly  as  you  see  me  do;  fail  in  nothing."  So  I  set  down 
one  of  the  muskets  and  the  fowling-piece  upon  the  ground,  and  Friday  did  the 
like  by  his,  and  with  the  other  musket  I  took  my  aim  at  the  savages,  bidding  him 
do  the  like  ;  then  asking  him  if  he  was  ready,  he  said,  "Yes."  "  Then  fire  at  them," 
said  I ;   and  at  the  same  moment  I  fired  also. 

Friday  took  his  aim  so  much  better  than  I,  that  on  the  side  he  shot  he  killed 
two  of  them,  and  wounded  three  more ;  and  on  my  side  I  killed  one,  and  wounded 
two.  They  were,  you  may  be  sure,  in  a  dreadful  consternation  ;  and  all  of  them 
that  were  not  hurt  jumped  upon  their  feet,  but  did  not  immediately  know  which 
way  to  run,  or  which  way  to  look,  for  they  knew  not  from  whence  their  destruc- 
tion came.  Friday  kept  his  eyes  close  upon  me,  that,  as  I  had  bid  him,  he  might 
observe  what  I  did ;  so,  as  soon  as  the  first  shot  was  made,  I  threw  down  the 
piece,  and  took  up  the  fowling-piece,  and  Friday  did  the  like  ;  he  saw  me  cock 
and  present;   he  did  the  same  again.     "Are  you  ready,  Friday?"  said  I.     "Yes." 


1 68 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


says  he.  "  Let  fly,  then,"  said  I,  "  in  the  name  of  God  !  "  and  with  that  I  fired 
again  among  the  amazed  wretches,  and  so  did  Friday ;  and  as  our  pieces  were  now 
loaded  with  what  I  call  swan-shot,  or  small  pistol-bullets,  we  found  only  two  drop ; 
but  so  many  were  wounded,  that  they  ran  about  yelling  and  screaming  like  mad 
creatures,  all  bloody,  and  most  of  them  miserably  wounded ;   whereof  three  more 

fell    quickly     after,    though    not    quite 
dead. 

"  Now,  Friday,"  said  I,  laying  down 
the  discharged  pieces,  and  taking  up 
the  musket  that  was  yet  loaded,  "  follow 
me,"  which  he  did  with  a  great  deal 
of  courage ;  upon  which  I  rushed  out 
of  the  wood  and  showed  myself,  and 
Friday  close  at  my  foot.  As  soon  as 
I  perceived  they  saw  me,  I  shouted 
as  loud  as  I  could,  and  bade  Friday 
do  so  too,  and  running  as  fast  as  I 
could,  which  by  the  way  was. not  very 
fast,  being  loaded  with  arms  as  I  was, 
I  made  directly  towards  the  poor  vic- 
tim, who  was,  as  I  said,  lying  upon 
the  beach  or  shore,  between  the  place 
where  they  sat  and  the  sea.  The  two 
butchers  who  were  just  going  to  work 
with  him  had  left  him  at  the  surprise 
of  our  first  fire,  and  fled  in  a  terrible 
fright  to  the  sea-side,  and  had  jumped 
into  a  canoe,  and  three  more  of  the 
rest  made  the  same  way.  I  turned  to 
Friday,  and  bade  him  step  forwards 
and  fire  at  them ;  he  understood 
me  immediately,  and  running  about 
forty  yards  nearer  them,  he  shot  at 
them ;  and  I  thought  he  killed  them  all,  for  I  saw  them  all  fall  of  a  heap  into 
the  boat,  though  I  saw  two  of  them  up  again  quickly ;  however,  he  killed  two 
of  them,  and  wounded  the  third  so  that  he  lay  down  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
as  if  he  had  been  dead. 

While  my  man  Friday  fired  at  them,  I  pulled  out  my  knife  and  cut  the  flags 
that  bound  the  poor  victim ;  and  loosing  his  hands  and  feet,  I  lifted  him  up,  and 
asked  him,  in  the  Portuguese  tongue,  what  he  was.  He  answered,  in  Latin, 
Christianus ;  but  was  so  weak  and  faint  that  he  could  scarce  stand  or  speak.  I 
took  my  bottle  out  of  my  pocket,  and  gave  it  him,  making  signs  that  he  should 
drink,  which  he  did ;  and  I  gave  him  a  piece  of  bread,  which  he  ate.  Then  I 
asked  him  what  countryman  he  was,  and  he  said  Espagnole ;    and  being  a  little 


I.N  THIS  POSTURE  WE  MAKLHtU   OUT  "   (/.    l66). 


\ 


"I   MADE  DIRECTLY  TOWARDS  THE  POOR  VICTIM. 


(Seep.  168.) 


A  Spaniard  Rescued. 


169 


recovered,  let  me  know,  by  all  the  signs  he  could  possibly  make,  how  much  he 
was  in  my  debt  for  his  deliverance.  "  Seignior,"  said  I,  with  as  much  Spanish  as 
I  could  make  up,  "  we  will  talk  afterwards,  but  we  must  fight  now  ;  if  you  have 
any  strength  left,  take  this  pistol  and  sword,  and  lay  about  you."  He  took  them 
very  thankfully*;  and  no  sooner  had  he  the  arms  in  his  hands,  but,  as  if  they  had 
put  new  vigor  into  him,  he  flew  upon  his  murderers  like  a  fury,  and  had  cut  two 


"l    FIRED    AGAIN    AMONG    THE    AMAZED    WRETCHES"    (/>.    l68). 


of  them  in  pieces  in  an  instant ;  for  the  truth  is,  as  the  whole  was  a  surprise  to 
them,  so  the  poor  creatures  were  so  much  frightened  with  the  noise  of  our  pieces 
that  they  fell  down  for  mere  amazement  and  fear,  and  had  no  more  power  to 
attempt  their  own  escape,  than  their  flesh  had  to  resist  our  shot :  and  that  was  the 
case  of  those  five  that  Friday  shot  at  in  the  boat ;  for  as  three  of  them  fell  with  the 
hurt  they  received,  so  the  other  two  fell  with  the  fright. 

I  kept  my  piece  in  my  hand  still  without  firing,  being  willing  to  keep  my 
charge  ready,  because  I  had  given  the  Spaniard  my  pistol  and  sword ;  so  I  called 
to  Friday,  and  bade  him  run  up  to  the  tree  from  whence  we  first  fired,  and  fetch 
the  arms  which  lay  there  that  had  been  discharged,  which  he  did  with  great  swift- 
ness ;  and  then  giving  him  my  musket,  I  sat  down  myself  to  load  all  the  rest 
again,  and  bade  them  come  to  me  when  they  wanted.     While  I  was  loading  these 


170  Robinson  Crusoe. 

pieces,  there  happened  a  fierce  engagement  between  the  Spaniard  and  one  of  the 
savages,  who  made  at  him  with  one  of  their  great  wooden  swords,  the  same  weapon 
that  was  to  have  killed  him  before,  if  I  had  not  prevented  it.  The  Spaniard,  who 
was  as  bold  and  brave  as  could  be  imagined,  though  weak,  had  fought  this 
Indian  a  good  while,  and  had  cut  two  great  wounds  on  his  head ;  but  the 
savage  being  a  stout,  lusty  fellow,  closing  in  with  him,  had  thrown  him  down,  being 
faint,  and  was  wringing  my  sword  out  of  his  hand ;  when  the  Spaniard,  though 
undermost,  wisely  quitted  the  sword,  drew  the  pistol  from  his  girdle,  shot  the 
savage  through  the  body,  and  killed  him  upon  the  spot,  before  I,  who  was  running 
to  help  him,  could  come  near  him. 

Friday,  being  now  left  to  his  liberty,  pursued  the  flying  wretches,  with  no 
weapon  in  his  hand  but  his  hatchet ;  and  with  that  he  dispatched  those  three 
who,  as  I  said  before,  were  wounded  at  first,  and  fallen,  and  all  the  rest 
he  could  come  up  with ;  and  the  Spaniard  coming  to  me  for  a  gun,  I  gave 
him  one  of  the  fowling-pieces,  with  which  he  pursued  two  of  the  savages, 
and  wounded  them  both ;  but,  as  he  was  not  able  to  run,  they  both  got 
from  him  into  the  wood,  where  Friday  pursued  them,  and  killed  one  of 
them,  but  the  other  was  too  nimble  for  him ;  and  though  he  was  wounded,  yet 
had  plunged  himself  into  the  sea,  and  swam  with  all  his  might  off  to  those  two 
who  were  left  in  the  canoe  ;  which  three  in  the  canoe,  with  one-  wounded,  that  we 
knew  not  whether  he  died  or  no,  were  all  that  escaped  our  hands,  of  one-and- 
twenty.  The  account  of  the  whole  is  as  follows: — Three  killed  at  our  first  shot 
from  the  tree ;  two  killed  at  the  next  shot ;  two  killed  by  Friday  in  the  boat ;  two 
killed  by  Friday,  of  those  at  first  wounded ;  one  killed  by  Friday  in  the  wood ; 
three  killed  by  the  Spaniard ;  four  killed,  being  found  dropped  here  and  there,  of 
the  wounds,  or  killed  by  Friday  in  his  chase  of  them ;  four  escaped  in  the  boat, 
whereof  one  wounded,  if  not  dead — twenty-one  in  all. 

Those  that  were  in  the  canoe  worked  hard  to  get  out  of  gunshot,  and  though 
Friday  made  two  or  three  shots  at  them,  I  did  not  find  that  he  hit  any  of  them. 
Friday  would  fain  have  had  me  take  one  of  their  canoes,  and  pursue  them ;  and, 
indeed,  I  was  very  anxious  about  their  escape,  lest,  carrying  the  news  home  to 
their  people,  they  should  come  back  perhaps  with  two  or  three  hundred  of  the 
canoes,  and  devour  us  by  mere  multitude ;  so  I  consented  to  pursue  them  by 
sea,  and  running  to  one  of  their  canoes,  I  jumped  in,  and  bade  Friday  follow  me; 
but  when  I  was  in  the  canoe,  I  was  surprised  to  find  another  poor  creature  lie 
there,  bound  hand  and  foot,  as  the  Spaniard  was,  for  the  slaughter,  and  almost 
dead  with  fear,  not  knowing  what  was  the  matter ;  for  he  had  not  been  able  to 
look  up  over  the  side  of  the  boat,  he  was  tied  so  hard  neck  and  heels,  and  had 
been  tied  so  long,  that  he  had  really  little  life  in  him. 

I  immediately  cut  the  twisted  flags  or  rushes,  which  they  had  bound  him  with, 
and  would  have  helped  him  up  ;  but  he  could  not  stand  or  speak,  but  groaned 
most  piteously,  believing,  it  seems,  still,  that  he  was  only  unbound  in  order  to  be 
killed.  When  Friday  came  to  him,  I  bade  him  speak  to  him,  and  tell  him  of  his 
deliverance  ;   and  pulling  out  my  bottle,  made  him  give  the  poor  wretch  a  dram ; 


Frida  y  and  his  Fa  ther.  i  7 1 

which,  with  the  news  of  his  being  delivered,  revived  him,  and  he  sat  up  in  the 
boat.  But  when  Friday  came  to  hear  him  speak,  and  look  in  his  face,  it  would 
have  moved  any  one  to  tears  to  have  seen  how  Friday  kissed  him,  embraced  him, 
hugged  him,  cried,  laughed,  hallooed,  jumped  about,  danced,  sung ;  then  cried 
again,  wrung  his  hands,  beat  his  own  face  and  head ;  and  then  sung  and  jumped 
about  again  like  a  distracted  creature.  It  was  a  good  while  before  I  could  make 
him  speak  to  me,  or  tell  me  what  was  the  matter ;  but  when  he  came  a  little  to  him- 
self, he  told  me  that  it  was  his  father. 

It  is  not  easy  for  me  to  express  how  it  moved  me  to  see  what  ecstasy  and 
filial  affection  had  worked  in  this  poor  savage  at  the  sight  of  his  father,  and  of  his 
being  delivered  from  death ;  nor,  indeed,  can  I  describe  half  the  extravagances  of 
his  affection  after  this ;  for  he  went  into  the  boat,  and  out  of  the  boat,  <a  great 
many  time's :  when  he  went  in  to  him,  he  would  sit  down  by  him,  open  his  breast, 
and  hold  his  father's  head  close  to  his  bosom  half  an  hour  together,  to  nourish  it ; 
then  he  took  his  arms  and  ankles,  which  were  numbed  and  stiff  with  the  binding, 
and  chafed  and  rubbed  them  with  his  hands ;  and  I,  perceiving  what  the  case 
was,  gave  him  some  rum  out  of  my  bottle  to  rub  them  with,  which  did  them  a 
great  deal  of  good. 

This  action  put  an  end  to  our  pursuit  of  the  canoe  with  the  other  savages, 
who  were  now  gotten  almost  out  of  sight ;  and  it  was  happy  for  us  that  we  did 
not,  for  it  blew  so  hard  within  two  hours  after,  and  before  they  could  be  got  a 
quarter  of  their  way,  and  continued  blowing  so  hard  all  night,  and  that  from  the 
north-west,  which  was  against  them,  that  I  could  not  suppose  their  boat  could 
live,  or  that  they  ever  reached  their  own  coast. 

But  to  return  to  Friday :  he  was  so  busy  about  his  father,  that  I  could  not 
find  in  my  heart  to  take  him  off  for  some  time ;  but  after  I  thought  he  could 
leave  him  a  little,  I  called  him  to  me,  and  he  came  jumping  and  laughing,  and 
pleased  to  the  highest  extreme ;  then  I  asked  him  if  he  had  given  his  father  any 
bread.  He  shook  his  head,  and  said,  "  None  ;  ugly  dog  eat  all  up  self."  I  then  gave 
him  a  cake  of  bread,  out  of  a  little  pouch  I  carried  on  purpose  ;  I  also  gave  him 
a  dram  for  himself ;  but  he  would  not  taste  it,  but  earned  it  to  his  father.  I  had 
in  my  pocket  also  two  or  three  bunches  of  raisins,  so  I  gave  him  a  handful  of 
them  for  his  father.  He  had  no  sooner  given  his  father  these  raisins,  but  I  saw 
him  come  out  of  the  boat,  and  run  away  as  if  he  had  been  bewitched,  for  he  was 
the  swiftest  fellow  on  his  feet  that  ever  I  saw ;  I  say,  he  ran  at  such  a  rate  that  he 
was  out  of  sight,  as  it  were,  in  an  instant ;  and  though  I  called,  and  hallooed  out, 
too,  after  him,  it  was  all  one — away  he  went ;  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  I  saw 
him  come  back  again,  though  not  so  fast  as  he  went ;  and,  as  he  came  nearer,  I 
found  his  pace  slacker,  because  he  had  something  in  his  hand.  When  he  came 
up  to  me  I  found  he  had  been  quite  home  for  an  earthen  jug,  or  pot,  to  bring  his 
father  some  fresh  water,  and  that  he  had  got  two  more  cakes  or  loaves  of 
bread :  the  bread  he  gave  me,  but  the  water  he  carried  to  his  father ;  however,  as  I 
was  very  thirsty  too,  I  took  a  little  sup  of  it.  This  water  revived  his  father  more  than 
all  the  rum  or  spirits  I  had  given  him,  for  he  was  just  fainting  with  thirst. 


172  Robinson  Crusoe. 

When  his  father  had  drunk,  I  called  to  him  to  know  if  there  was  any  water 
left;  he  said  "Yes;"  and  I  bade  him  give  it  to  the  poor  Spaniard,  who  was  in  as 
much  want  of  it  as  his  father ;  and  I  sent  one  of  the  cakes,  that  Friday  brought, 
to  the  Spaniard  too,  who  was  indeed  very  weak,  and  was  reposing  himself  upon 
a  green  place  under  the  shade  of  a  tree ;  and  whose  limbs  were  also  very  stiff, 
and  very  much  swelled  with  the  rude  bandage  he  had  been  tied  with.  When  I 
saw  that  upon  Friday's  coming  to  him  with  the  water,  he  sat  up  and  drank,  and 
took  the  bread  and  began  to  eat,  I  went  to  him  and  gave  him  a  handful  of 
raisins :  he  looked  up  in  my  face  with  all  the  tokens  of  gratitude  and  thankfulness 
that  could  appear  in  any  countenance ;  but  was  so  weak,  notwithstanding  he  had 
so  exerted  himself  in  the  fight,  that  he  could  not  stand  up  on  his  feet :  he  tried  to  do 
it  two  or  three  times,  but  was  really  not  able,  his  ankles  were  so  swelled  and  so  painful 
to  him ;  so  I  bade  him  sit  still,  and  caused  Friday  to  rub  his  ankles,  and  bathe  them 
with  rum,  as  he  had  done  his  father's. 

I  observed  the  poor  affectionate  creature,  every  two  minutes,  or  perhaps  less, 
all  the  while  he  was  here,  turned  his  head  about,  to  see  if  his  father  was  in  the 
same  place  and  posture  as  he  left  him  sitting ;  and  at  last  he  found  he  was  not 
to  be  seen  ;  at  which  he  started  up,  and,  without  speaking  a  word,  flew  with  that 
swiftness  to  him,  that  one  could  scarce  perceive  his  feet  to  touch  the  ground  as 
he  went ;  but  when  he  came,  he  only  found  he  laid  himself  down  to  ease  his 
limbs,  so  Friday  came  back  to  me  presently ;  and  I  then  spoke  to  the  Spaniard 
to  let  Friday  help  him  up,  if  he  could,  and  lead  him  to  the  boat,  and  then  he 
should  carry  him  to  our  dwelling,  where  I  would  take  care  of  him.  But  Friday,  a 
lusty  young  fellow,  took  the  Spaniard  quite  up  on  his  back,  and  carried  him  away  to 
the  boat,  and  set  him  down  softly  upon  the  side  or  gunwale  of  the  canoe,  with  his 
feet  in  the  inside  of  it ;  and  then  lifted  him  quite  in,  and  set  him  close  to  his 
father ;  and  presently  stepping  out  again,  launched  the  boat  off,  and  paddled  it  along 
the  shore  faster  than  I  could  walk,  though  the  wind  blew  pretty  hard  too ;  so  he 
brought  them  both  safe  into  our  creek,  and  leaving  them  in  the  boat,  runs  away 
to  fetch  the  other  canoe.  As  he  passed  me  I  spoke  to  him,  and  asked  him 
whither  he  went.  He  told  me,  "  Go  fetch  more  boat ;  "  so  away  he  went  like  the 
wind,  for  sure  never  man  or  horse  ran  like  him  ;  and  he  had  the  other  canoe  in  the 
creek  almost  as  soon  as  I  got  to  it  by  land ;  so  he  wafted  me  over,  and  then  went 
to  help  our  new  guests  out  of  the  boat,  which  he  did ;  but  they  were  neither  of  them 
able  to  walk  ;   so  that  poor  Friday  knew  not  what  to  do. 

To  remedy  this  I  went  to  work  in  my  thought,  and  calling  to  Friday  to  bid 
them  sit  down  on  the  bank  while  he  came  to  me,  I  soon  made  a  kind  of  hand- 
barrow  to  lay  them  on,  and  Friday  and  I  carried  them  up  both  together  upon  it 
between  us. 

But  when  we  got  them  to  the  outside  of  our  wall,  or  fortification,  we  were  at  a 
worse  loss  than  before,  for  it  was  impossible  to  get  them  over,  and  I  was  resolved 
not  to  break  it  down;  so  I  set  to  work  again,  and  Friday  and  I,  in  about  two 
hours'  time,  made  a  very  handsome  tent,  covered  with  old  sails,  and  above  that 
with  boughs  of  trees,  being  in  the  space  without  our  outward  fence,  and  between 


After  the  Fight. 


i73 


that  and  the  grove  of  young  wood  which  I  had  planted ;  and  here  we  made  them 
two  beds  of  such  things  as  I  had,  viz.,  of  good  rice-straw,  with  blankets  laid  upon 
it,  to  lie  on,  and  another  to  cover  them,  on  each  bed. 

My  island  was  now  peopled,  and  I  thought  myself  very  . 
rich  in    subjects ;   and  it  was  a  merry  reflection,   which  I 
frequently  made,  how  like  a  king  I  looked.     First  of  all, 
the  whole  country  was  my  own  mere  property,  so 
that    I     had    an    undoubted    right    of     dominion. 
Secondly,  my  people  were    perfectly  subjected:     I 
was  absolutely  lord  and    lawgiver :    they   all   owed 
their   lives  to  me,  and    were 
ready  to  lay  down  their  lives, 
if   there    had    been    occasion 
for    it,    for   me.      It    was 
markable,  too, 
I      had      but 
three  subjects, 
and  they  were 
of  three  differ- 
ent  religions : 
my  man    Fri- 
day    was    '  a 
Protestant,  his 
father    was    a 
Pagan  and   a 
cannibal,   and 
the     Spaniard 
was  a  Papist. 
However,  I  al- 
lowed   liberty 
of   conscience 
throughout 
my  dominions 
— but    this    is 
by  the  way. 

As  soon  as 
I  had  secured 
my  two  weak 

rescued  prisoners,  and  given  them  shelter,  and  a  place  to  rest  them  upon,  I 
began  to  think  of  making  some  provision  for  them  ;  and  the  first  thing  I  did,  I 
ordered  Friday  to  take  a  yearling  goat,  betwixt  a  kid  and  a  goat,  out  of  my 
particular  flock,  to  be  killed ;  when  I  cut  off  the  hinder  quarter,  and  chopping  it 
into  small  pieces,  I  set  Friday  to  work  to  boiling  and  stewing,  and  made  them 
a  very  good  dish,  I   assure  you,   of  flesh  and  broth,  having  put  some  barley  and 


WRINGING    MY    SWORD    OUT    OF    HIS    HAND  "    (/.    170). 


174  Robinson  Crusoe. 

rice  also  into  the  broth ;  and  as  I  cooked  it  without  doors,  for  I  made  no  fire 
within  my  inner  wall,  so  I  carried  it  all  into  the  new  tent,  and  having  set  a 
table  there  for  them,  I  sat  down,  and  ate  my  own  dinner  also  with  them,  and, 
as  well  as  I  could,  cheered  them  and  encouraged  them.  Friday  was  my  inter- 
preter, especially  to  his  father,  and,  indeed,  to  the  Spaniard  too ;  for  the  Spaniard 
spoke  the  language  of  the  savages  pretty  well. 

After  we  had  dined,  or  rather  supped,  I  ordered  Friday  to  take  one  of  the 
canoes  and  go  and  fetch  our  muskets  and  other  fire-arms,  which,  for  want  of  time, 
we  had  left  upon  the  place  of  battle ;  and,  the  next  day,  I  ordered  him  to  go 
and  bury  the  dead  bodies  of  the  savages,  which  lay  open  to  the  sun,  and  would 
presently  be  offensive.  I  also  ordered  him  to  bury  the  horrid  remains  of  their 
barbarous  feast,  which  I  could  not  think  of  doing  myself ;  nay,  I  could  not  bear 
to  see  them,  if  I  went  that  way ;  all  which  he  punctually  performed,  and  defaced 
the  very  appearance  of  the  savages  being  there ;  so  that  when  I  went  again,  I  could 
scarce  know  where  it  was,  otherwise  than  by  the  corner  of  the  wood  pointing  to 
the  place. 

I  then  began  to  enter  into  a  little  conversation  with  my  two  new  subjects; 
and,  first,  I  set  Friday  to  inquire  of  his  father  what  he  thought  of  the  escape  of 
the  savages  in  that  canoe,  and  whether  we  might  expect  a  return  of  them,  with  a 
power  too  great  for  us  to  resist.  His  first  opinion  was,  that  the  savages  in  the 
boat  never  could  live  out  the  storm  which  blew  that  night  they  went  off,  but  must, 
of  necessity,  be  drowned,  or  driven  south  to  those  other  shores,  where  they  were 
as  sure  to  be  devoured  as  they  were  to  be  drowned  if  they  were  cast  away ;  but, 
as  to  what  they  would  do  if  they  came  safe  on  shore,  he  said  he  knew  not ;  but 
it  was  his  opinion  that  they  were  so  dreadfully  frightened  with  the  manner  of  their 
being  attacked,  the  noise,  and  the  fire,  that  he  believed  they  would  tell  the  people 
they  were  all  killed  by  thunder  and  lightning,  not  by  the  hand  of  man ;  and  that 
the  two  which  appeared,  viz.,  Friday  and  I,  were  two  heavenly  spirits,  or  furies, 
come  down  to  destroy  them,  and  not  men  with  weapons.  This  he  said  he  knew, 
because  he  heard  them  all  cry  out  so,  in  their  language,  one  to  another ;  for  it 
was  impossible  for  them  to  conceive  that  a  man  could  dart  fire,  and  speak  thunder, 
and  kill  at  a  distance,  without  lifting  up  the  hand,  as  was  done  now.  And  this 
old  savage  was  in  the  right ;  for,  as  I  understood  since,  by  other  hands,  the  savages 
never  attempted  to  go  over  to  the  island  afterwards ;  they  were  so  terrified  with 
the  accounts  given  by  those  four  men  (for  it  seems  they  did  escape  the  sea),  that 
they  believed  whoever  went  to  that  enchanted  island  would  be  destroyed  with  fire 
from  the  gods.  This,  however,  I  knew  not ;  and  therefore  was  under  continual 
apprehensions  for  a  good  while,  and  kept  always  upon  my  guard,  I  and  all  my 
army :  for,  as  we  were  now  four  of  us,  I  would  have  ventured  upon  a  hundred  of 
them,  fairly  in  the  open  field,  at  any  time. 

In  a  little  time,  however,  no  more  canoes  appearing,  the  fear  of  their  coming 
wore  off ;  and  I  began  to  take  my  former  thoughts  of  a  voyage  to  the  main  into 
consideration ;  being  likewise  assured,  by  Friday's  father,  that  I  might  depend  upon 
good  usage  from    their  nation,  on  his  account,  if  I  would  go.     But  my  thoughts 


A  Discourse  with  the  Spaniard.  175 

were  a  little  suspended  when  I  had  a  serious  discourse  with  the  Spaniard,  and 
when  I  understood  that  there  were  sixteen  more  of  his  countrymen  and  Portuguese, 
who,  having  been  cast  away  and  made  their  escape  to  that  side,  lived  there  at 
peace,  indeed,  with  the  savages,  but  were  very  sore  put  to  it  for  necessaries,  and, 
indeed,  for  life.  I  asked  him  all  the  particulars  of  their  voyage,  and  found  they 
were  a  Spanish  ship,  bound  from  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  to  the  Havanna,  being 
directed  to  leave  their  loading  there,  which  was  chiefly  hides  and  silver,  and  to 
bring  back  what  European  goods  they  could  meet  with  there ;  that  they  had  five 
Portuguese  seamen  on  board,  whom  they  took  out  of  another  wreck ;  that  five  of 
their  own  men  were  drowned,  when  first  the  ship  was  lost,  and  that  these  escaped 
through  infinite  danger  and  hazards,  and  arrived,  almost  starved,  on  the  cannibal 
coast,  where  they  expected  to  have  been  devoured  every  moment.  He  told  me 
they  had  some  arms  with  them,  but  they  were  perfectly  useless,  for  that  they  had 
neither  powder  nor  ball,  the  washing  of  the  sea  having  spoiled  all  their  powder, 
but  a  little,  which  they  used  at  their  first  landing,  to  provide  themselves  some  food. 

I  asked  him  what  he  thought  would  become  of  them  there,  and  if  they  had 
formed  no  design  of  making  any  escape.  He  said  they  had  many  consultations 
about  it ;  but  having  neither  vessel,  nor  tools  to  build  one,  nor  provisions  of  any 
kind,  their  councils  always  ended  in  tears  and  despair.  I  asked  him  how  he 
thought  they  would  receive  a  proposal  from  me,  which  might  tend  towards  an 
escape ;  and  whether,  if  they  were  all  here,  it  might  not  be  done.  I  told  him  with 
freedom,  I  feared  mostly  their  treachery  and  ill-usage  of  me,  if  I  put  my  life  in 
their  hands ;  for  that  gratitude  was  no  inherent  virtue  in  the  nature  of  man,  nor 
did  men  always  square  their  dealings  by  the  obligations  they  had  received,  so  much 
as  they  did  by  the  advantages  they  expected.  I  told  him  it  would  be  very  hard 
that  I  should  be  the  instrument  of  their  deliverance,  and  that  they  should  after- 
wards make  me  their  prisoner  in  New  Spain,  where  an  Englishman  was  certain  to 
be  made  a  sacrifice,  what  necessity  or  what  accident  soever  brought  him  thither ; 
and  that  I  had  rather  be  delivered  up  to  the  savages,  and  be  devoured  alive,  than 
fall  into  the  merciless  claws  of  the  priests,  and  be  carried  into  the  Inquisition.  I 
added  that,  otherwise,  I  was  persuaded,  if  they  were  all  here,  we  might,  with  so 
many  hands,  build  a  bark,  large  enough  to  carry  us  all  away,  either  to  the 
Brazils  southward,  or  to  the  islands  or  Spanish  coast  northward ;  but  that  if,  in 
requital,  they  should,  when  I  had  put  weapons  into  their  hands,  carry  me  by  force 
among  their  own  people,  I  might  be  ill-used  for  my  kindness  to  them,  and  make 
my  case  worse  than  it  was  before. 

He  answered  with  a  great  deal  of  candor  and  ingenuousness,  that  their  con- 
dition was  so  miserable,  and  that  they  were  so  sensible  of  it,  that  he  believed  they 
would  abhor  the  thought  of  using  any  man  unkindly  that  should  contribute  to  their 
deliverance  ;  and  that,  if  I  pleased,  he  would  go  to  them,  with  the  old  man,  and 
discourse  with  them  about  it  and  return  again,  and  bring  me  their  answer ;  that  he 
would  make  conditions  with  them  upon  their  solemn  oath,  that  they  should  be  ab- 
solutely under  my  direction,  as  their  commander  and  captain ;  and  they  should 
swear  upon  the   Holy  Sacrament   and   Gospel   to   be  true   to  me,  and  go  to  such 


176  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Christian  country  as  I  should  agree  to,  and  no  other ;  and  to  be  directed  wholly  and 
absolutely  by  my  orders,  till  they  were  landed  safely  in  such  country  as  I  intended ; 
and  that  he  would  bring  a  contract  from  them,  under  their  hands,  for  that  purpose. 
Then  he  told  me  he  would  first  swear  to  me  himself,  that  he  would  never  stir 
from  me  as  long  as  he  lived,  till  I  gave  him  orders ;  and  that  he  would  take  my 
side  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood,  if  there  should  happen  the  least  breach  of 
faith  among  his  countrymen.  He  told  me  they  were  all  of  them  very  civil,  honest 
men,  and  they  were  under  the  greatest  distress  imaginable,  having  neither  weapons 
nor  clothes,  nor  any  food,  but  at  the  mercy  and  discretion  of  the  savages ;  out  of 
all  hopes  of  ever  returning  to  their  own  country ;  and  that  he  was  sure,  if  I  would 
uns   .rtake  their  relief,  they  would  live  and  die  by  me. 

ijpon  these  assurances,  I  resolved  to  venture  to  relieve  them,  if  possible,  and 
to  send  the  old  savage  and  this  Spaniard  over  to  them  to  treat.  But  when  we 
had  got  all  things  in  readiness  to  go,  the  Spaniard  himself  started  an  objection 
which  had  so  much  prudence  in  it  on  one  hand,  and  so  much  sincerity  on  the 
other  hand,  that  I  could  not  but  be  very  well  satisfied  in  it ;  and,  by  his  advice, 
put  off  the  deliverance  of  his  comrades  for  at  least  half  a  year.  The  case  was 
thus :  he  had  been  with  us  now  about  a  month,  during  which  time  I  had  let  him 
see  in  what  manner  I  had  provided,  with  the  assistance  of  Providence,  for  my 
support ;  and  he  saw  evidently  what  stock  of  corn  and  rice  I  had  laid  up  ;  which, 
though  it  was  more  than  sufficient  for  myself,  yet  it  was  not  sufficient,  without 
good  husbandry,  for  my  family,  now  it  was  increased  to  four ;  but  much  less  would 
it  be  sufficient  if  his  countrymen,  who  were,  as  he  said,  fourteen,  still  alive,  should 
come  over ;  and  least  of  all  would  it  be  sufficient  to  victual  our  vessel,  if  we 
should  build  one,  for  a  voyage  to  any  of  the  Christian  colonies  of  America  ;  so 
he  told  me  he  thought  it  would  be  more  advisable  to  let  him  and  the  other  two 
dig  and  cultivate  some  more  land,  as  much  as  I  could  spare  seed  to  sow,  and 
that  we  should  wait  another  harvest,  that  we  might  have  a  supply  of  corn  for  his 
countrymen,  when  they  should  come ;  for  want  might  be  a  temptation  to  them  to 
disagree,  or  not  to  think  themselves  delivered,  otherwise  than  out  of  one  difficulty 
into  another.  "You  know,"  says  he,  "the  children  of  Israel,  though  they  rejoiced 
at  first  for  their  being  delivered  out  of  Egypt,  yet  rebelled  even  against  God  Him- 
self, that  delivered  them,  when  they  came  to  want  bread  in  the  wilderness." 

His  caution  was  so  seasonable,  and  his  advice  so  good,  that  I  could  not  but 
be  very  well  pleased  with  his  proposal,  as  well  as  I  was  satisfied  with  his  fidelity ; 
so  we  fell  to  digging,  all  four  of  us,  as  well  as  the  wooden  tools  we  were  furnished 
with  permitted ;  and  in  about  a  month's  time,  by  the  end  of  which  it  was  seed- 
time, we  had  got  as  much  land  cured  and  trimmed  up  as  we  sowed  two-and- 
twenty  bushels  of  barley  on,  and  sixteen  jars  of  rice,  which  was,  in  short,  all  the 
seed  we  had  to  spare ;  indeed,  we  left  ourselves  barely  sufficient  for  our  own  food  for 
the  six  months  that  we  had  to  expect  our  crop  ;  that  is  to  say,  reckoning  from  the 
time  we  set  our  seed  aside  for  sowing ;  for  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  it  is  six  months 
in  the  ground  in  that  country. 

Having  now  society  enough,  and  our  number  being  sufficient  to  put  us  out  of 


We  Prepare  for  Escape. 


177 


fear  of  the  savages,  if  they  had  come,  unless  their  number  had  been  very  great, 
we  went  freely  all  over  the  island,  whenever  we  found  occasion ;  and  as  we  had 
our  escape  or  deliverance  upon  our  thoughts,  it  was  impossible,  at  least  for  me, 
to  have  the  means  of  it  out  of  mine.  For  this  purpose,  I  marked  out  several 
trees  which  I  thought  fit  for  our  work,  and  I  set  Friday  and  his  father  to  cut  them 
down ;  and  then  I  caused  the  Spaniard,  to  whom  I  imparted  my  thoughts  on  that 
affair,  to  oversee  and  direct  their  work.     I  showed  them  with  what  indefatigable 


"MY    EYE    PLAINLY    DISCOVERED    A    SHIP    LYING   AT   AN    ANCHOR''    (/.    179). 


pains  I  had  hewed  a  large  tree  into  single  planks,  and  I  caused  them  to  do  the 
like,  till  they  had  made  about  a  dozen  large  planks  of  good  oak,  near  two  feet 
broad,  thirty-five  feet  long,  and  from  two  inches  to  four  inches  thick :  what  pro- 
digious labor  it  took  up,  any  one  may  imagine. 

At  the  same  time,  I  contrived  to  increase  my  little  stock  of  tame  goats  as  much 
as  I  could ;  and  for  this  purpose  I  made  Friday  and  the  Spaniard  go  out  one  day, 
and  myself  with  Friday  the  next  day  (for  we  took  our  turns),  and  by  this  means 
we  got  about  twenty  young  kids  to  breed  up  with  the  rest ;  for  whenever  we  shot 
the  dam,  we  saved  the  kids,  and  added  them  to  our  flock.  But  above  all,  the 
season   for  curing  the  grapes  coming  on,   I   caused  such  a  prodigious  quantity  to 


17S  Robinson  Crusoe. 

be  hung  up  in  the  sun,  that  I  believe,  had  we  been  at  Alicant,  where  the  raisins 
of  the  sun  are  cured,  we  could  have  filled  sixty  or  eighty  barrels ;  and  these,  with 
our  bread,  formed  a  great  part  of  our  food — very  good  living  too,  I  assure  you, 
for  they  are  exceeding  nourishing. 

It  was  now  harvest,  and  our  crop  in  good  order;  it  was  not  the  most  plentiful 
increase  I  had  seen  in  the  island,  but,  however,  it  was  enough  to  answer  our  end ; 
for,  from  twenty-two  bushels  of  barley,  we  brought  in  and  thrashed  out  above  two 
hundred  and  twenty  bushels ;  and  the  like  in  proportion  of  the  rice ;  which  was 
store  enough  for  our  food  to  the  next  harvest,  though  all  the  sixteen  Spaniards 
had  been  on  shore  with  me ;  or,  if  we  had  been  ready  for  a  voyage,  it  would  very 
plentifully  have  victualed  our  ship  to  have  carried  us  to  any  part  of  the  world, 
that  is  to  say,  of  America.  When  we  had  thus  housed  and  secured  our  magazine 
of  corn,  we  fell  to  work  to  make  more  wicker-work,  viz.,  great  baskets,  in  which 
we  kept  it ;  and  the  Spaniard  was  very  handy  and  dexterous  at  this  part,  and 
often  blamed  me  that  I  did  not  make  some  things  for  defense  of  this  kind  of 
work ;  but  I  saw  no  need  of  it. 

And  now,  having  a  full  supply  of  food  for  all  the  guests  expected,  I  gave 
the  Spaniard  leave  to  go  over  the  main,  to  see  what  he  could  do  with  those  he  had 
left  behind  him  there.  I  gave  him  a  strict  charge  not  to  bring. any  man  with  him 
who  would  not  first  swear,  in  the  presence  of  himself  and  the  old  savage,  that  he 
would  no  way  injure,  fight  with,  or  attack  the  person  he  should  find  in  the  island 
who  was  so  kind  as  to  send  for  them  in  order  to  their  deliverance ;  but  that  they 
would  stand  by  him  and  defend  him  against  all  such  attempts,  and  wherever  they 
went,  would  be  entirely  under  and  subjected  to  his  command;  and  that  this  should 
be  put  in  writing,  and  signed  with  their  hands.  How  they  were  to  have  done 
this,  when  I  knew  they  had  neither  pen  nor  ink — that,  indeed,  was  a  question 
which  we  never  asked.  Under  these  instructions,  the  Spaniard  and  the  old  savage, 
the  father  of  Friday,  went  away  in  one  of  the  canoes  which  they  might  be  said 
to  have  come  in,  or  rather  were  brought  in,  when  they  came  as  prisoners  to  be 
devoured  by  the  savages.  I  gave  each  of  them  a  musket,  with  a  firelock  on  it, 
and  about  eight  charges  of  powder  and  ball,  charging  them  to  be  very  good 
husbands  of  both,  and  not  to  use  either  of  them  but  upon  urgent  occasion. 

This  was  a  cheerful  work,  being  the  first  measures  used  by  me,  in  view  of  my 
deliverance,  for  now  twenty-seven  years  and  some  days.  I  gave  them  provisions 
of  bread,  and  of  dried  grapes,  sufficient  for  themselves  for  many  days,  and  suffi- 
cient for  all  the  Spaniards  for  about  eight  days'  time ;  and  wishing  them  a  good 
voyage,  I  saw  them  go,  agreeing  with  them  about  a  signal  they  should  hang  out 
at  their  return,  by  which  I  should  know  them  again,  when  they  came  back,  at  a 
distance,  before  they  came  on  shore.  They  went  away,  with  a  fair  gale,  on  the 
day  the  moon  was  at  full,  by  my  account  in  the  month  of  October ;  but  as  for  an 
exact  reckoning  of  days,  after  I  had  once  lost  it,  I  could  never  recover  it  again ; 
nor  had  I  kept  even  the  number  of  years  so  punctually  as  to  be  sure  I  was  right ; 
though,  as  it  proved,  when  I  afterwards  examined  my  account,  I  found  I  had  kept 
a  true  reckoning  of  years. 


A  Ship  'in  Sight.  179 

It  was  no  less  than  eight  clays  I  had  waited  for  them,  when  a  strange  and 
unforeseen  accident  intervened,  of  which  the  like  has  not,  perhaps,  been  heard  of  in 
history.  I  was  fast  asleep  in  my  hutch  one  morning,  when  my  man  Friday  came 
running  in  to  me,  and  called  aloud,  "  Master,  master,  they  are  come,  they  are 
come  !  "  I  jumped  up,  and,  regardless  of  danger,  I  went  out  as  soon  as  I  could 
get  my  clothes  on,  through  my  little  grove,  which,  by  the  way,  was  by  this  time 
grown  to  be  a  very  thick  wood ;  I  say,  regardless  of  danger,  I  went  without  my 
arms,  which  was  not  my  custom  to  do  :  but  I  was  surprised  when,  turning  my 
eyes  to  the  sea,  I  presently  saw  a  boat  at  about  a  league  and  a  half  distance, 
standing  in  for  the  shore,  with  a  shoulder-of-mutton  sail,  as  they  call  it,  and  the 
wind  blowing  pretty  fair  to  bring  them  in :  also  I  observed,  presently,  that  they 
did  not  come  from  that  side  which  the  shore  lay  on,  but  from  the  southernmost 
end  of  the  island.  Upon  this  I  called  Friday  in,  and  bade  him  lie  close,  for  these 
were  not  the  people  we  looked  for,  and  that  we  might  not  know  yet  whether  they 
were  friends  or  enemies.  In  the  next  place,  I  went  in  to  fetch  my  perspective 
glass,  to  see  what  I  could  make  of  them ;  and,  having  taken  the  ladder  out,  I 
climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  as  I  used  to  do  when  I  was  apprehensive  of 
anything,  and  to  take  my  view  plainer,  without  being  discovered.  I  had  scarce 
set  my  foot  upon  the  hill,  when  my  eye  plainly  discovered  a  ship  lying  at  an 
anchor,  at  about  two  leagues  and  a  half  distance  from  me,  S.S.E.,  but  not  above 
a  league  and  a  half  from  the  shore.  By  my  observation,  it  appeared  plainly  to 
be  an  English  ship,  and  the  boat  appeared  to  be  an  English  long-boat. 

I  cannot  express  the  confusion  I  was  in,  though  the  joy  of  seeing  a  ship,  and 
one  that  I  had  reason  to  believe  was  manned  by  my  own  countrymen,  and  cor 
sequently  friends,  was  such  as  I  cannot  describe ;  but  yet  I  had  some  secret 
doubts  hung  about  me — I  cannot  tell  from  whence  they  came — bidding  me  keep 
upon  my  guard.  In  the  first  place,  it  occurred  to  me  to  consider  what  business 
an  English  ship  could  have  in  that  part  of  the  world,  since  it  was  not  the  way 
to  or  from  any  part  of  the  world  where  the  English  had  any  traffic ;  and  I  knew 
there  had  been  no  storms  to  drive  them  in  there,  in  distress ;  and  that  if  they 
were  really  English,  it  was  most  probable  that  they  were  here  upon  no  good 
design ;  and  that  I  had  better  continue  as  I  was  than  fall  into  the  hands  of 
thieves  and  murderers. 

Let  no  man  despise  the  secret  hints  and  notices  of  danger  which  sometimes 
are  given  him  when  he  may  think  there  is  no  possibility  of  its  being  real.  That 
such  hints  and  notices  are  given  us,  I  believe  few  that  have  made  any  observation? 
of  things  can  deny ;  that  they  are  certain  discoveries  of  an  invisible  world,  and  a 
converse  of  spirits,  we  cannot  doubt ;  and  if  the  tendency  of  them  seems  to  be 
to  warn  us  of  danger,  why  should  we  not  suppose  they  are  from  some  friendly 
agent  (whether  supreme,  or  inferior  and  subordinate,  is  not  the  question),  and  that 
they  are  given  for  our  good? 

The  present  question  abundantly  confirms  me  in  the  justice  of  this  reasoning ; 
for  had  I  not  been  made  cautious  by  this  secret  admonition,  come  it  from  whence 
it  will,  I   had  been  undone  inevitably,  and  in  a  far  worse  condition  than  before, 


i  So  Robinson  Crusoe. 

as  you  will  see  presently.  I  had  not  kept  myself  long  in  this  posture  till  I  saw 
the  boat  draw  near  the  shore,  as  if  they  looked  for  a  creek  to  thrust  in  at,  for 
the  convenience  of  landing ;  however,  as  they  did  not  come  quite  far  enough,  they 
did  not  see  the  little  inlet  where  I  formerly  landed  my  rafts,  but  ran  their  boat 
on  shore  upon  the  beach,  at  about  half  a  mile  from  me  ;  which  was  very  happy 
for  me ;  for  otherwise  they  would  have  landed  just  at  my  door,  as  I  may  say,  and 
would  soon  have  beaten  me  out  of  my  castle,  and  perhaps  have  plundered  me  of 
all  I  had.  When  they  were  on  shore,  I  was  fully  satisfied  they  were  Englishmen, 
at  least  most  of  them ;  one  or  two  I  thought  were  Dutch,  but  it  did  not  prove  so ; 
there  were  in  all  eleven  men,  whereof  three  of  them  I  found  were  unarmed,  and,  as 
I  thought,  bound ;  and  when  the  first  four  or  five  of  them  were  jumped  on  shore, 
they  took  those  three  out  of  the  boat,  as  prisoners :  one  of  the  three  I  could 
perceive  using  the  most  passionate  gestures  of  entreaty,  affliction,  and  despair 
even  to  a  kind  of  extravagance ;  the  other  two,  I  could  perceive,  lifted  up  their 
hand  sometimes,  and  appeared  concerned,  indeed,  but  not  to  such  a  degree  as 
the  first.  I  was  perfectly  confounded  at  the  sight,  and  knew  not  what  the  meaning 
of  it  should  be.  Friday  called  out  to  me  in  English,  as  well  as  he  could,  "  O 
master!  you  see  English  mans  eat  prisoner  as  well  as  savage  mans."  .  "Why, 
Friday,"  says  I,  "do  you  think  they  are  going  to  eat  them,  then?"  "Yes,"  says 
Friday,  "  they  will  eat  them."  "  No,  no,"  says  I,  "Friday;  I  am  afraid  they  will 
murder  them,  indeed ;    but  you  may  be  sure  they  will  not  eat  them." 

All  this  while  I  had  no  thought  of  what  the  matter  really  was,  but  stood 
trembling  with  the  horror  of  the  sight,  expecting  every  moment  when  the  three 
prisoners  should  be  killed ;  nay,  once  I  saw  one  of  the  villains  lift  up  his  arm 
with  a  great  cutlass,  as  the  seamen  call  it,  or  sword,  to  strike  one  of  the  poor 
men  ;  and  I  expected  to  see  him  fall  every  moment ;  at  which  all  the  blood  in 
my  body  seemed  to  run  chill  in  my  veins.  I  wished  heartily  now  for  my  Spaniard, 
and  the  savage  that  was  gone  with  him,  or  that  I  had  any  way  to  have  come 
undiscovered  within  shot  of  them,  that  I  might  have  secured  the  three  men,  for  I 
saw  no  fire-arms  they  had  among  them ;  but  it  fell  out  to  my  mind  another  way. 
After  I  had  observed  the  outrageous  usage  of  the  three  men  by  the  insolent  sea- 
men, I  observed  the  fellows  run  scattering  about  the  land,  as  if  they  wanted  to 
see  the  country.  I  observed  also  that  the  three  other  men  had  liberty  to  go  where 
they  pleased  ;  but  they  sat  down  all  three  upon  the  ground,  very  pensive,  and 
looked  like  men  in  despair.  This  put  me  in  mind  of  the  first  time  when  I  came 
on  shore,  and  began  to  look  about  me ;  how  I  gave  myself  over  for  lost ;  how 
wildly  I  looked  round  me ;  what  dreadful  apprehensions  I  had ;  and  how  I  lodged, 
in  the  tree  all  night,  for  fear  of  being  devoured  by  wild  beasts.  As  I  knew 
nothing,  that  night,  of  the  supply  I  was  to  receive  by  the  providential  driving  of 
the  ship  nearer  the  land  by  the  storms  and  tide,  by  which  I  have  since  been  so 
long  nourished  and  supported ;  so  these  three  poor  desolate  men  knew  nothing  how 
certain  of  deliverance  and  supply  they  were,  how  near  it  was  to  them,  and  how 
effectually  and  really  they  were  in  a  condition  of  safety,  at  the  same  time  they 
thought  themselves  lost,  and  their  case  desperate.     So  little  do  we  see  before  us  in 


Arrivals  from  the  Ship. 


I8l 


the  world,  and  so  much  reason  have  we  to  depend  cheerfully  upon  the  great  Maker 
of  the  world,  that  He  does  not  leave  His  creatures  so  absolutely  destitute,  but 
that,  in  the  worst  circumstances,  they  have  always  something  to  be  thankful  for, 
and  sometimes  are  nearer  their  deliverance  than  they  imagine ;  nay,  are  even 
brought  to  their  deliverance  by  the  means  by  which  they  seem  to  be  brought  to 
their  destruction. 

It  was  just  at  the  top  of  high  water  when  these  people  came  on  shore ;   and 
while  they  rambled   about  to  see  what  kind   of  a  place   they  were   in,  they  had 


<»$ ,    'fi' 

JSm 


WHAT   ARE   YE,    GENTLEMEN  '  "    (/>.    182). 


carelessly  stayed  till  the  tide  was  spent,  and  the  water  was  ebbed  considerably  away, 
leaving  their  boat  aground.  They  had  left  two  men  in  the  boat,  who,  as  I  found 
afterwards,  having  drunk  a  little  too  much  brandy,  fell  asleep  ;  however,  one  of 
them  waking  a  little  sooner  than  the  other,  and  finding  the  boat  too  fast  aground 
for  him  to  stir  it,  hallooed  out  for  the  rest,  who  were  straggling  about ;  upon 
which  they  all  soon  came  to  the  boat ;  but  it  was  past  all  their  strength  to 
launch  her,  the  boat  being  very  heavy,  and  the  shore  on  that  side  being  a  soft 
oozy  sand,  almost  like  a  quicksand.  In  this  condition,  like  true  seamen,  who  are, 
perhaps,   the   least   of   all   mankind   given   to   forethought,  they   gave   it   over,   and 


1 82  Robinson  Crusoe. 

away  they  strolled  about  the  country  again  ;  and  I  heard  one  of  them  say  aloud 
to  another,  calling  them  off  from  the  boat,  ''Why,  let  her  alone,  Jack,  can't  you? 
she'll  float  next  tide ;  "  by  which  I  was  fully  confirmed  in  the  main  inquiry  of 
what  countrymen  they  were.  All  this  while  I  kept  myself  close,  not  once  daring 
to  stir  out  of  my  castle,  any  farther  than  to  my  place  of  observation,  near  the  top 
of  the  hill ;  and  very  glad  I  was  to  think  how  well  it  was  fortified.  I  knew  it 
was  no  less  than  ten  hours  before  the  boat  could  float  again,  and  by  that  time 
it  would  be  dark,  and  I  might  be  at  more  liberty  to  see  their  motions,  and  to 
hear  their  discourse,  if  they  had  any.  In  the  meantime,  I  fitted  myself  up  for 
a  battle,  as  before,  though  with  more  caution,  knowing  that  I  had  to  do  with 
another  kind  of  enemy  than  I  had  at  first.  I  ordered  Friday  also,  whom  I  had 
made  an  excellent  marksman  with  his  gun,  to  load  himself  with  arms.  I  took 
myself  two  fowling-pieces,  and  I  gave  him  three  muskets.  My  figure,  indeed,  was 
very  fierce ;  I  had  my  formidable  goat-skin  coat  on,  with  the  great  cap  I  have 
mentioned,  a  naked  sword,  two  pistols  in  my  belt,  and  a  gun  upon  each  shoulder. 

It  was  my  design,  as  I  said  above,  not  to  have  made  any  attempt  till  it  was 
dark ;  but  about  two  o'clock,  being  the  heat  of  the  dav,  I  found,  in  short,  they 
were  all  gone  straggling  into  the  woods,  and,  as  I  thought,  were  all  laid  down  to 
sleep.  The  three  poor  distressed  men,  too  anxious  for  their  condition  to  get  any 
sleep,- had,  however,  sat  down  under  ^the  shelter  of  a  great  tree,  at  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  me,  and,  as  I  thought,  out  of  sight  of  any  of  the  rest.  Upon  this 
I  resolved  to  discover  myself  to  them,  and  learn  something  of  their  condition ; 
immediately  I  marched  as  above,  my  man  Friday  at  a  good  distance  behind  me, 
as  formidable  for  his  arms  as  I,  but  not  making  quite  so  staring  a  specter-like 
figure  as  I  did.  I  came  as  near  them  undiscovered  as  I  could,  and  then,  before 
any  of  them  saw  me,  I  called  aloud  to  them  in  Spanish,  "  What  are  ye.  gentle- 
men? "  They  started  up  at  the  noise,  but  were  ten  times  more  confounded  when 
they  saw  me.  and  the  uncouth  figure  that  I  made.  They  made  no  answer  at  all, 
but  I  thought  I  perceived  them  just  going  to  fly  from  me,  when  I  spoke  to  them 
in  English :  "  Gentlemen,"  said  I,  "  do  not  be  surprised  at  me :  perhaps  you  may 
have  a  friend  near,  when  you  did  not  expect  it."  "  He  must  be  sent  directly  from 
heaven,  then,"  said  one  of  them  very  gravely  to  me,  and  pulling  off  his  hat  at 
the  same  time;  "for  our  condition  is  past  the  help  of  man."  "All  help  is  from 
heaven,  sir,"  said  I :  "but  can  vou  put  a  stranger  in  the  way  to  help  you?  for  you 
seem  to  be  in  some  great  distress.  I  saw  vou  when  you  landed ;  and  when  you 
seemed  to  make  application  to  the  brutes  that  came  with  you,  I  saw  one  of  them 
lift  up  his  sword  to  kill  vou." 

The  poor  man,  with  tears  running  down  his  face,  and  trembling,  looked  like 
one  astonished,  and  returned,  "Am  I  talking  to  God,  or  man?  Is  it  a  real  man,  or 
an  angel?"  "Be  in  no  fear  about  that,  sir,"  said  I;  "if  God  had  sent  an  angel 
to  relieve  you,  he  would  have  come  better  clothed,  and  armed  after  another 
manner  than  you  see  me  in ;  prav  lay  aside  your  fears ;  I  am  a  man,  an  English- 
man, and  disposed  to  assist  you ;  you  see  I  have  one  servant  only;  we  have  arms 
and  ammunition;   tell  us  freely,  can  we  serve  vou?     What  is   your  case?  "      "Our 


The  Captain's  Proposal.  183 

case,  sir,"  said  he,  "  is  too  long  to  tell  you,  while  our  murderers  are  so  near  us ; 
but,  in  short,  sir,  I  was  commander  of  that  ship ;  my  men  have  mutinied  against 
me ;  they  have  been  hardly  prevailed  on  not  to  murder  me,  and,  at  last,  have  set 
me  on  shore  in  this  desolate  place,  with  these  two  men  with  me — one  my  mate, 
the  other  a  passenger — where  we  expected  to  perish,  believing  the  place  to  be  un- 
inhabited, and  know  not  yet  what  to  think  of  it."  "  Where  are  these  brutes,  your 
enemies?"  said  I;  "do  you  know  where  they  are  gone?"  "There  they  lie,  sir," 
said  he,  pointing  to  a  thicket  of  trees ;  "  my  heart  trembles  for  fear  they  have  seen 
us,  and  heard  you  speak ;  if  they  have,  they  will  certainly  murder  us  all."  "  Have 
they  any  fire-arms ?  "  said  I.  He  answered,  "They  had  only  two  pieces,  one  of 
which  they  left  in  the  boat."  "Well  then,"  said  I,  "leave  the  rest  to  me;  I  see 
they  are  all  asleep ;  it  is  an  easy  thing  to  kill  them  all ;  but  shall  we  rather  take 
them  prisoners?  "  He  told  me  there  were  two  desperate  villains  among  them  that 
it  was  scarce  safe  to  show  any  mercy  to ;  but  if  they  were  secured,  he  believed 
all  the  rest  would  return  to  their  duty.  I  asked  him  which  they  were.  He  told 
me  he  could  not  at  that  distance  distinguish  them,  but  he  would  obey  my  orders 
in  anything  I  would  direct.  "  Well,"  says  I,  "  let  us  retreat  out  of  their  view  or 
hearing,  lest  they  awake,  and  we  will  resolve  further."  So  they  willingly  went 
back  with  me,  till  the  woods  covered  us  from  them. 

"  Look  you,  sir,"  said  I ;  "  if  I  venture  upon  your  deliverance,  are  you  willing 
to  make  two  conditions  with  me?"  He  anticipated  my  proposals  by  telling  me 
that  both  he  and  the  ship,  if  recovered,  should  be  wholly  directed  and  commanded 
by  me  in  everything ;  and  if  the  ship  was  not  recovered,  he  would  live  and  die 
with  me  in  what  part  of  the  world  soever  I  would  send  him ;  and  the  two  other 
men  said  the  same.  "Well,"  said  I,  "my  conditions  are  but  two:  first, — that 
while  you  stay  on  this  island  with  me,  you  will  not  pretend  to  any  authority  here ; 
and  if  I  put  arms  in  your  hands,  you  will,  upon  all  occasions,  give  them  up  to 
me,  and  do  no  prejudice  to  me  or  mine  upon  this  island,  and  in  the  meantime 
be  governed  by  my  orders ;  secondly, — that  if  the  ship  is  or  may  be  recovered, 
you  will  carry  me  and  my  man  to  England  passage  free." 

He  gave  me  all  the  assurance  that  the  invention  and  faith  of  a  man  could 
devise  that  he  would  comply  with  these  most  reasonable  demands,  and  besides 
would  owe  his  life  to  me,  and  acknowledge  it  upon  all  occasions  as  long  as  he 
lived.  "  Well,  then,"  said  I,  "  here  are  three  muskets  for  you,  with  powder  and 
ball ;  tell  me  next  what  you  think  is  proper  to  be  done."  He  showed  all  the 
testimony  of  his  gratitude  that  he  was  able,  but  offered  to  be  wholly  guided  by 
me.  I  told  him  I  thought  it  was  hard  venturing  anything ;  but  the  best  method 
I  could  think  of  was  to  fire  on  them  at  once  as  they  lay,  and  if  any  were  not 
killed  at  the  first  volley,  and  offered  to  submit,  we  might  save  them,  and  so  put 
it  wholly  upon  God's  providence  to  direct  the  shot.  He  said,  very  modestly,  that 
he  was  loth  to  kill  them,  if  he  could  help  it ;  but  that  those  two  were  incorrigible 
villains,  and  had  been  the  authors  of  all  the  mutiny  in  the  ship,  and  if  they 
escaped,  we  should  be  undone  still,  for  they  would  go  on  board  and  bring  the  whole 
ship's  company,  and  destroy  us  all.     "Well,  then,"  says  I,  "necessity  legitimates 


1 84 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


my  advice,  for  it  is  the  only  way  to  save  our  lives."  However,  seeing  him  still 
cautious  of  shedding  blood,  I  told  him  they  should  go  themselves,  and  manage 
as  they  found  convenient. 

In  the  middle  of  this  discourse  we  heard  some  of  them  awake,  and  soon  after 
we  saw  two  of  them  on  their  feet.  I  asked  him  if  either  of  them  were  the  men 
who  he  had  said  were  the  heads  of  the  mutiny.  He  said,  "  No."  "  Well,  then," 
said  I,  "you  may  let  them  escape;  and  Providence  seems  to  have  awakened 
them  on  purpose  to  save  themselves.  Now,"  says  I,  "  if  the  rest  escape  you,  it  is 
your  fault."     Animated   with   this,   he   took   the   musket   I   had   given    him    in  his 


THEY    BEGGED    FOR    MERCY. 


hand,   and    a    pistol    in  .'"■''  '-'* 

his    belt,    and    his    two 
comrades  with  him,  with 
each    man    a    piece    in 
his  hand ;   the  two  men  who  were 
with   him    going   first   made    some 
noise,  at  which  one  of  the  seamen, 
who  was  awake,  turned  about,  and 

seeing  them  coming,  cried  out  to  the  rest ;  but  it  was  too  late  then,  for  the  moment 
he  cried  out  they  fired — I  mean  the  two  men,  the  captain  wisely  reserving  his  own 
piece.  They  had  so  well  aimed  their  shot  at  the  men  they  knew,  that  one  of  them 
was  killed  on  the  spot,  and  the  other  very  much  wounded ;  but  not  being  dead,  he 
started  up  on  his  feet,  and  called  eagerly  for  help  to  the  other ;  but  the  captain, 
stepping  to  him,  told  him  it  was  too  late  to  cry  for  help,  he  should  call  upon 
God  to  forgive  his  villainy,  and  with  that  word  knocked  him  down  with  the  stock 
of  his  musket,  so  that  he  never  spoke  more :  there  were  three  more  in  the  com- 
pany, and  one  of  them  was  slightly  wounded.  By  this  time  I  was  come ;  and 
when  they  saw  their  danger,  and  that  it  was  in  vain  to  resist,  they  begged  for 
mercy.  The  captain  told  them  he  would  spare  their  lives  if  they  would  give  him  an 
assurance  of  their  abhorrence  of  the  treachery  they  had  been  guilty  of,  and  would 
swear  to  be  faithful  to  him  in  recovering  the  ship,  and  afterwards  in  carrying  her 


/  Show  the  Captain  my  Castle.  185 

back  to  Jamaica,  from  whence  they  came.  They  gave  him  all  the  protestations  of 
their  sincerity  that  could  be  desired ;  and  he  was  willing  to  believe  them,  and 
spare  their  lives,  which  I  was  not  against,  only  I  obliged  him  to  keep  them  bound 
hand  and  foot  while  they  were  upon  the  island. 

While  this  was  doing,  I  sent  Friday  with  the  captain's  mate  to  the  boat,  with 
orders  to  secure  her,  and  bring  away  the  oars  and  sails,  which  they  did  ;  and  by 
and  by  three  straggling  men,  that  were  (happily  for  them)  parted  from  the  rest, 
came  back  upon  hearing  the  guns  fired ;  and  seeing  the  captain,  who  before  was 
their  prisoner,  now  their  conqueror,  they  submitted  to  be  bound  also ;  and  so  our 
victory  was  complete. 

It  now  remained  that  the  captain  and  I  should  inquire  into  one  another's 
circumstances.  I  began  first,  and  told  him  my  whole  history,  which  he  heard 
with  an  attention  even  to  amazement — and  particularly  at  the  wonderful  manner 
of  my  being  furnished  with  provisions  and  ammunition ;  and,  indeed,  as  my  story 
is  a  whole  collection  of  wonders,  it  affected  him  deeply.  But  when  he  reflected 
from  thence  upon  himself,  and  how  I  seemed  to  have  been  preserved  there  on  pur- 
pose to  save  his  life,  the  tears  ran  down  his  face,  and  he  could  not  speak  a  word 
more.  After  this  communication  was  at  an  end,  I  carried  him  and  his  two  men 
into  my  apartments,  leading  them  in  just  where  I  came  out,  viz.,  at  the  top  of 
the  house,  where  I  refreshed  him  with  such  provision  as  I  had,  and  showed  them 
all  the  contrivances  I  had  made  during  my  long,  long  inhabiting  that  place. 

All  I  showed  them,  all  I  said  to  them,  was  perfectly  amazing ;  but  above  all, 
the  captain  admired  my  fortification,  and  how  perfectly  I  had  concealed  my  retreat 
with  a  grove  of  trees,  which,  having  been  now  planted  near  twenty  years,  and  the 
trees  growing  much  faster  than  in  England,  was  become  a  little  wood,  so  thick 
that  it  was  impassable  in  any  part  of  it  but  at  that  one  side  where  I  had  reserved 
my  little  winding  passage  into  it.  I  told  him  this  was  my  castle  and  my  residence, 
but  that  I  had  a  seat  in  the  country,  as  most  princes  have,  whither  I  could  retreat 
upon  occasion,  and  I  would  show  him  that  too  another  time ;  but  at  present  our 
business  was  to  consider  how  to  recover  the  ship.  He  agreed  with  me  as  to  that, 
but  told  me  he  was  perfectly  at  a  loss  what  measures  to  take,  for  that  there  were 
still  six-and-twenty  hands  on  board,  who,  having  entered  into  a  cursed  conspiracy, 
by  which  they  had  all  forfeited  their  lives  to  the  law,  would  be  -hardened  in  it 
now  by  desperation,  and  would  carry  it  on,  knowing  that  if  they  were  subdued 
they  should  be  brought  to  the  gallows  as  soon  as  they  came  to  England,  or  to 
any  of  the  English  colonies,  and  that,  therefore,  there  would  be  no  attacking  them 
with  so  small  a  number  as  we  were. 

I  mused  for  some  time  upon  what  he  had  said,  and  found  it  was  a  very 
rational  conclusion,  and  that  therefore  something  was  to  be  resolved  on  very 
speedily,  as  well  to  draw  the  men  on  board  into  some  snare  for  their  surprise,  as 
to  prevent  their  landing  upon  us,  and  destroying  us.  Upon  this,  it  presently 
occurred  to  me  that  in  a  little  while  the  ship's  crew,  wondering  what  was  become 
of  their  comrades  and  of  the  boat,  would  certainly  come  on  shore  in  their  other 
boat  to  look  for  them,  and  that  then,  perhaps,  they  might  come  armed,  and  be 


1 86  Robinson  Crusoe. 

too  strong  for  us:  this  he  allowed  to  be  rational.  Upon  this,  I  told  him  the  first 
thing  we  had  to  do  was  to  stave  the  boat,  which  lay  upon  the  beach,  so  that  they 
might  not  carry  her  off,  and  taking  everything  out  of  her,  leave  her  so  far  useless 
as  not  to  be  fit  to  swim.  Accordingly  we  went  on  board,  took  the  arms  which 
were  left  on  board  out  of  her,  and  whatever  else  we  found  there — which  was  a 
bottle  of  brandy,  and  another  of  rum,  a  few  biscuit-cakes,  a  horn  of  powder,  and 
a  great  lump  of  sugar  in  a  piece  of  canvas  (the  sugar  was  five  or  six  pounds) ;  all 
which  was  very  welcome  to  me,  especially  the  brandy  and  sugar,  of  which  I  had 
had  none  left  for  many  years. 

When  we  had  carried  all  these  things  on  shore  (the  oars,  mast,  sail,  and  rudder 
of  the  boat  were  carried  away  before),  we  knocked  a  great  hole  in  her  bottom, 
that  if  they  had  come  strong  enough  to  master  us,  yet  they  could  not  carry  off 
the  boat.  Indeed,  it  was  not  much  in  my  thoughts  that  we  could  be  able  to 
recover  the  ship  ;  but  my  view  was,  that  if  they  went  away  without  the  boat,  I 
did  not  much  question  to  make  her  again  fit  to  carry  us  to  the  Leeward  Islands, 
and  call  upon  our  friends  the  Spaniards  in  my  way,  for  I  had  them  still  in  my 
thoughts. 

While  we  were  thus  preparing  our  designs,  and  had  first,  by  main  strength, 
heaved  the  boat  upon  the  beach,  so  high  that  the  tide  would  not  float  her  off  at 
high-water  mark,  and  besides,  had  broken  a  hole  in  her  bottom  too  big  to  be 
quickly  stopped,  and  were  sat  down  musing  what  we  should  do,  we  heard  the  ship 
fire  a  gun,  and  make  a  waft  with  her  ensign  as  a  signal  for  the  boat  to  come  on 
board :  but  no  boat  stirred ;  and  they  fired  several  times,  making  other  signals  for 
the  boat.  At  last,  when  '  all  their  signals  and  firing  proved  fruitless,  and  they 
found  the  boat  did  not  stir,  we  saw  them,  by  the  help  of  my  glasses,  hoist  another 
boat  out,  and  row  towards  the  shore ;  and  we  found,  as  they  approached,  that 
there  were  no  less  than  ten  men  in  her,  and  that  they  had  fire-arms  with  them. 

As  the  ship  lay  almost  two  leagues  from  the  shore,  we  had  a  full  view  of  them 
as  they  came,  and  a  plain  sight  even  of  their  faces ;  because  the  tide  having  set 
them  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  other  boat,  they  rowed  up  under  shore,  to  come 
to  the  same  place  where  the  other  had  landed,  and  where  the  boat  lay ;  by  this 
means,  I  say,  we  had  a  full  view  of  them,  and  the  captain  knew  the  persons  and 
characters  of  all  the  men  in  the  boat,  of  whom,  he  said,  there  were  three  very 
honest  fellows,  who,  he  was  sure,  were  led  into  this  conspiracy  by  the  rest,  being 
overpowered  and  frightened  ;  but  that  as  for  the  boatswain,  who  it  seems  was  the 
chief  officer  among  them,  and  all  the  rest,  they  were  as  outrageous  as  any  of  the 
ship's  crew,  and  were  no  doubt  made  desperate  in  their  new  enterprise ;  and 
terribly  apprehensive  he  was  that  they  would  be  too  powerful  for  us.  I  smiled  at 
him,  and  told  him  that  men  in  our  circumstances  were  past  the  operation  of  fear ; 
that  seeing  almost  every  condition  that  could  be  was  better  than  that  which  we 
were  supposed  to  be  in,  we  ought  to  expect  that  the  consequence,  whether  death 
or  life,  would  be  sure  to  be  a  deliverance.  I  asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the 
circumstances  of  my  life,  and  whether  a  deliverance  were  not  worth  venturing  for. 
"And  where,  sir,"  said  I,  "is  your  belief  in  my  being  preserved  here  on  purpose 


Another  Boat  Lands.  187 

to  save  your  life,  which  elevated  you  a  little  while  ago?  For  my  part,"  said  I, 
"there  seems  to  be  but  one  thing  amiss  in  all  the  prospect  of  it."  "What  is 
that?"  says  he.  "Why,"  said  I,  "it  is,  that  as  you  say  there  are  three  or  four 
honest  fellows  among  them,  which  should  be  spared,  had  they  been  all  of  the 
wicked  part  of  the  crew,  I  should  have  thought  God's  providence  had  singled  them 
out  to  deliver  them  into  your  hands ;  for  depend  upon  it,  every  man  that  comes 
ashore  is  our  own,  and  shall  die  or  live  as  they  behave  to  us."  As  I  spoke  this 
with  a  raised  voice  and  cheerful  countenance,  I  found  it  greatly  encouraged  him ; 
so  we  set  vigorously  to  our  business. 

We  had,  upon  the  first  appearance  of  the  boats  coming  from  the  ship,  con- 
sidered of  separating  our  prisoners ;  and  had,  indeed,  secured  them  effectually. 
Two  of  them,  of  whom  the  captain  was  less  assured  than  ordinary,  I  sent  with 
Friday  and  one  of  the  three  delivered  men  to  my  cave,  where  they  were  remote 
enough,  and  out  of  danger  of  being  heard  or  discovered,  or  of  finding  their  way 
out  of  the  woods,  if  they  could  have  delivered  themselves ;  here  they  left  them 
bound,  but  gave  them  provisions ;  and  promised  them,  if  they  continued  there 
quietly,  to  give  them  their  liberty  in  a  day  or  two ;  but  that  if  they  attempted 
their  escape,  they  should  be  put  to  death  without  mercy.  They  promised  faithfully 
to  bear  their  confinement  with  patience,  and  were  very  thankful  that  they  had  such 
good  usage  as  to  have  provisions  and  a  light  left  them :  for  Friday  gave  them 
candles  (such  as  we  made  ourselves)  for  their  comfort ;  and  they  did  not  know 
but  that  he  stood  sentinel  over  them  at  the  entrance. 

The  other  prisoners  had  better  usage ;  two  of  them  were  kept  pinioned,  indeed, 
because  the  captain  was  not  free  to  trust  them ;  but  the  other  two  were  taken 
into  my  service,  upon  the  captain's  recommendation,  and  upon  their  solemnly 
engaging  to  live  and  die  with  us ;  so  with  them  and  the  three  honest  men  we 
were  seven  men,  well  armed ;  and  I  made  no  doubt  we  should  be  able  to  deal 
well  enough  with  the  ten  that  were  coming,  considering  that  the  captain  had  said 
there  were  three  or  four  honest  men  among  them  also.  As  soon  as  they  got  to 
the  place  where  their  other  boat  lay,  they  ran  their  boat  into  the  beach  and  came 
all  on  shore,  hauling  the  boat  up  after  them,  which  I  was  glad  to  see,  for  I  was 
afraid  they  would  rather  have  left  the  boat  at  an  anchor  some  distance  from  the 
shore,  with  some  hands  in  her,  to  guard  her,  and  so  we  should  not  be  able  to 
seize  the  boat.  Being  on  shore,  the  first  thing  they  did,  they  ran  all  to  their 
other  boat ;  and  it  was  easy  to  see  they  were  under  a  great  surprise  to  find  her 
stripped,  as  above,  of  all  that  was  in  her,  and  a  great  hole  in  her  bottom.  After 
they  had  mused  awhile  upon  this,  they  set  up  two  or  three  great  shouts,  hallooing 
with  all  their  might,  to  try  if  they  could  make  their  companions  hear ;  but  all  was 
to  no  purpose :  then  they  came  all  close  in  a  ring,  and  fired  a  volley  of  their 
small-arms,  which,  indeed,  we  heard,  and  the  echoes  made  the  woods  ring ;  but 
it  was  all  one ;  those  in  the  cave,  we  were  sure,  could  not  hear ;  and  those  in 
our  keeping,  though  they  heard  it  well  enough,  yet  durst  give  no  answer  to  them. 
They  were  so  astonished  at  the  surprise  of  this,  that,  as  they  told  us  afterwards, 
they  resolved  to  go  all  on  board  again  to  their  ship,  and  let  them  know  that  the 


1 88  Robinson  Crusoe. 

men  were  all  murdered,  and  the  long-boat  staved ;  accordingly,  they  immediately 
launched  their  boat  again,  and  got  all  of  them  on  board. 

The  captain  was  terribly  amazed,  and  even  confounded,  at  this,  believing  they 
would  go  on  board  the  ship  again,  and  set  sail,  giving  their  comrades  over  for 
lost,  and  so  he  should  still  lose  the  ship,  which  he  was  in  hopes  we  should  have 
recovered ;   but  he  was  quickly  as  much  frightened  the  other  way. 

They  had  not  been  long  put  off  with  the  boat,  when  we  perceived  them  all 
coming  on  shore  again ;  but  with  this  new  measure  in  their  conduct,  which  it  seems 
they  consulted  together  upon,  viz.,  to  leave  three  men  in  the  boat,  and  the  rest  to 
go  on  shore,  and  go  up  into  the  country  to  look  for  their  fellows.  This  was  a 
great  disappointment  to  us,  for  now  we  were  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  as  our  seizing 
those  seven  men  on  shore  would  be  no  advantage  to  us  if  we  let  the  boat  escape ; 
because  they  would  row  away  to  the  ship,  and  then  the  rest  of  them  would  be 
sure  to  weigh  and  set  sail,  and  so  our  recovering  the  ship  would  be  lost.  How- 
ever, we  had  no  remedy  but  to  wait  and  see  what  the  issue  of  things  might  pre- 
sent. The  seven  men  came  on  shore,  and  the  three  who  remained  in  the  boat 
put  her  off  to  a  good  distance  from  the  shore,  and  came  to  an  anchor  to  wait  for 
"them;  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  come  at  them  in  the  boat.  Those  that 
came  on  shore  kept  close  together,  marching  towards  the  top  of  the  little  hill 
under  which  my  habitation  lay ;  and  we  could  see  them  plainly,  though  they  could 
not  perceive  us.  We  should  have  been  very  glad  if  they  would  have  come  nearer 
to  us,  so  that  we  might  have  fired  at  them,  or  that  they  would  have  gone  farther 
off,  that  we  might  come  abroad.  But  when  they  were  come  to  the  brow  of  the  hill 
where  they  could  see  a  great  way  into  the  valleys  and  woods,  which  lay  towards 
the  north-east  part,  and  where  the  island  lay  lowest,  they  shouted  and  hallooed 
till  they  were  weary :  and  not  caring,  it  seems,  to  venture  far  from  the  shore, 
nor  far  from  one  another,  they  sat  down  together,  under  a  tree,  to  consider  of  it. 
Had  they  thought  fit  to  have  gone  to  sleep  there,  as  the  other  party  of  them  had 
done,  they  had  done  the  job  for  us ;  but  they  were  too  full  of  apprehensions  of 
danger  to  venture  to  go  to  sleep,  though  they  could  not  tell  what  the  danger  was 
they  had  to  fear. 

The  captain  made  a  very  just  proposal  to  me  upon  this  consultation  of  theirs, 
viz.,  that  perhaps  they 'would  all  fire  a  volley  again,  to  endeavor  to  make  their 
fellows  hear,  and  that  we  should  all  sally  upon  them  just  at  the  juncture  when 
their  pieces  were  all  discharged,  and  they  would  certainly  yield,  and  we  should 
have  them  without  bloodshed.  I  liked  this  proposal,  provided  it  was  done  while 
we  were  near  enough  to  come  up  to  them  before  they  could  load  their  pieces 
again.  But  this  event  did  not  happen  ;  and  we  lay  still  a  long  time,  very  irreso- 
lute what  course  to  take.  At  length,  I  told  them  there  would  be  nothing  done, 
in  my  opinion,  till  night ;  and  then  if  they  did  not  return  to  the  boat,  perhaps  we 
might  find  a  way  to  get  between  them  and  the  shore,  and  so  might  use  some 
stratagem  with  them  in  the  boat  to  get  them  on  shore.  We  waited  a  great  while, 
though  very  impatient  for  their  removing ;  and  were  very  uneasy,  when,  after  long 
consultation,  we  saw  them  all  start  up,  and  march  down  towards  the  sea :   it  seems 


The  Mutineers  Surprised.  189 

they  had  such  dreadful  apprehensions  of  the  danger  of  the  place,  that  they  resolved 
to  go  on  board  the  ship  again,  give  their  companions  over  for  lost,  and  so  go  on 
with  their  intended  voyage  with  the  ship. 

As  soon  as  I  perceived  them  go  towards  the  shore,  I  imagined  it  to  be  as  it 
really  was,  that  they  had  given  over  their  search,  and  were  for  going  back  again ; 
and  the  captain,  as  soon  as  I  told  him  my  thoughts,  was  ready  to  sink  at  the 
apprehensions  of  it :  but  I  presently  thought  of  a  stratagem  to  fetch  them  back 
again,  and  which  answered  my  end  to  a  tittle.  I  ordered  Friday  and  the  captain's 
mate  to  go  over  the  little  creek  westward,  towards  the  place  where  the  savages 
came  on  shore  when  Friday  was  rescued,  and  so  soon  as  they  came  to  a  little 
rising  ground,  at  about  half  a  mile  distance,  I  bade  them  halloo  out,  as  loud  as 
they  could,  and  wait  till  they  found  the  seamen  heard  them ;  that  as  soon 
as  ever  they  heard  the  seamen  answer  them,  they  should  return  it  again ;  and, 
then  keeping  out  of  sight,  take  a  round,  always  answering  when  the  others 
hallooed,  to  draw  them  as  far  into  the  island,  and  among  the  woods,  as  possible, 
and  then  wheel  about  again  to  me  by  such  ways  as  I  directed. 

They  were  just  going  into  the  boat  when  Friday  and  the  mate  hallooed ;  and 
they  presently  heard  them,  and,  answering,  ran  along  the  shore  westward,  towards 
the  voice  they  heard,  when  they  were  presently  stopped  by  the  creek,  where,  the 
water  being  up,  they  could  not  get  over,  and  called  for  the  boat  to  come  up  and 
set  them  over;  as,  indeed,  I  expected.  When  they  had  set  themselves  over,  I 
observed  that  the  boat  being  gone  up  a  good  way  into  the  creek,  and,  as  it  were, 
in  a  harbor  within  the  land,  they  took  one  of  the  three  men  out  of  her,  to  go 
along  with  them,  and  left  only  two  in  the  boat,  having  fastened  her  to  the  stump 
of  a  little  tree  on  the  shore.  This  was  what  I  wished  for ;  and  immediately  leaving 
Friday  and  the  captain's  mate  to  their  business,  I  took  the  rest  with  me,  and 
crossing  the  creek  out  of  their  sight,  we  surprised  the  two  men  before  they  were 
aware  ;  one  of  them  lying  on  the  shore,  and  the '  other  being  in  the  boat.  The 
fellow  on  shore  was  between  sleeping  and  waking,  and  going  to  start  up ;  the 
captain,  who  was  foremost,  ran  in  upon  him,  and  knocked  him  down ;  and 
then  called  out  to  him  in  the  boat  to  yield,  or  he  was  a  dead  man.  There 
needed  very  few  arguments  to  persuade  a  single  man  to  yield,  when  he  saw 
five  men  upon  him,  and  his  comrade  knocked  down :  besides,  this  was,  it  seems, 
one  of  the  three  who  were  not  so  hearty  in  the  mutiny  as  the  rest  of  the 
crew ;  and,  therefore,  was  easily  persuaded  not  only  to  yield,  but  afterwards  to 
join  very  sincerely  with  us.  In  the  meantime,  Friday  and  the  captain's  mate 
so  well  managed  their  business  with  the  rest  that  they  drew  them,  by  hallooing 
and  answering,  from  one  hill  to  another,  and  from  one  wood  to  another,  till  they 
not  only  heartily  tired  them,  but  left  them  where  they  could  not  reach  back  to 
the  boat  before  it  was  dark ;  and,  indeed,  they  were  heartily  tired  themselves  also, 
by  the  time  they  came  back  to  us. 

We  had  nothing  now  to  do  but  to  watch  for  them  in  the  dark,  and  to  fall  upon 
them,  so  as  to  make  sure  work  with  them.  It  was  several  hours  after  Friday  came 
back  to  me  before  they  came  back  to  their  boat ;    and  we  could  hear  the  fore- 


i go  Robinson  Crusoe. 

most  of  them,  long  before  they  came  quite  up,  calling  to  those  behind  to  come 
along ;  and  could  also  hear  them  answer,  and  complain  how  lame  and  tired  they 
were,  and  not  able  to  come  any  faster:  which  was  very  welcome  news  to  us.  At 
length  they  came  up  to  the  boat ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  express  their  confusion 
when  they  found  their  boat  fast  aground  in  the  creek,  the  tide  ebbed  out,  and 
their  two  men  gone.  We  could  hear  them  call  to  one  another  in  the  most  lament- 
able manner,  telling  one  another  they  were  got  into  an  enchanted  island ;  that 
either  there  were  inhabitants  in  it,  and  they  should  all  be  murdered,  or  else  there 
were  devils  and  spirits  in  it,  and  they  should  be  all  carried  away  and  devoured. 
They  hallooed  again,  and  called  their  two  comrades  by  their  names  a  great  many 
times ;  but  no  answer.  After  some  '  time,  we  could  see  them,  by  the  little  light 
there  was,  running  about,  wringing  their  hands  like  men  in  despair,  and  sometimes 
they  would  go  and  sit  down  in  the  boat  to  rest  themselves :  then  come  ashore 
again,  and  walk  about  again,  and  so  the  same  thing  over  again.  My  men  would 
fain  have  had  me  give  them  leave  to  fall  upon  them  at  once  in  the  dark ;  but  I 
was  willing  to  take  them  at  some  advantage,  so  to  spare  them,  and  kill  as  few 
of  them  as  I  could ;  and  especially  I  was  unwilling  to  hazard  the  killing  of  any 
of  our  men,  knowing  the  others  were  very  well  armed.  I  resolved  to  wait,  to  see 
if  they  did  not  separate  ;  and  therefore,  to  make  sure  of  them,  I  drew  my  am- 
buscade nearer,  and  ordered  Friday  and  the  captain  to  creep  upon  their  hands 
and  feet,  as  close  to  the  ground  as  they  could,  that  they  might  not  be  discovered, 
and  get  as  near  them  as  they  could  possibly,  before  they  offered  to  fire. 

They  had  not  been  long  in  that  posture,  when  the  boatswain,  who  was  the 
principal  ringleader  of  the  mutiny,  and  had  now  shown  himself  the  most  dejected 
and  dispirited  of  all  the  rest,  came  walking  towards  them,  with  two  more  of  the 
crew ;  the  captain  was  so  eager  at  having  the  principal  rogue  so  much  in  his 
power,  that  he  could  hardly  have  patience  to  let  him  come  so  near  as  to  be  sure 
of  him,  for  they  only  heard  his  tongue  before ;  but  when  they  came  nearer,  the 
captain  and  Friday,  starting  up  on  their  feet,  let  fly  at  them.  The  boatswain  was 
killed  upon  the  spot ;  the  next  man  was  shot  in  the  body,  and  fell  just  by  him, 
though  he  did  not  die  till  an  hour  or  two  after ;  and  the  third  ran  for  it.  At  the 
noise  of  the  fire,  I  immediately  advanced  with  my  whole  army,  which  was  now 
eight  men :  viz.,  myself,  generalissimo  ;  Friday,  my  lieutenant-general ;  the  captain 
and  his  two  men,  and  the  three  prisoners  of  war  whom  we  had  trusted  with  arms. 
We  came  upon  them,  indeed,  in  the  dark,  so  that  they  could  not  see  our  number; 
and  I  made  the  man  they  had  left  in  the  boat,  and  who  was  now  one  of  us,  call 
them  by  name,  to  try  if  I  could  bring  them  to  a  parley,  and  so  perhaps  reduce 
them  to  terms ;  which  fell  out  just  as  we  desired ;  for,  indeed,  it  was  easy  to  think, 
as  their  condition  then  was,  they  would  be  very  willing  to  capitulate.  So  he  calls 
out  as  loud  as  he  could  to  one  of  them,  "  Tom  Smith !  Tom  Smith !  "  Tom 
Smith  answered  immediately,  "Who's  that?  Robinson?"  for  it  seems  he  knew  the 
voice.  The  other  answered,  "Ay,  ay;  for  God's  sake,  Tom  Smith,  throw  down 
your  arms  and  yield,  or  you  are  all  dead  men  this  moment."  "Who  must  we 
yield    to?     Where    are    they?"  says    Smith   again.     "Here    they    are,"    says   he; 


Surrender  at  Discretion.  191 

"here's  our  captain  and  fifty  men  with  him,  have  been  hunting  you  these  two 
hours ;  the  boatswain  is  killed,  Will  Frye  is  wounded,  and  I  am  a  prisoner ;  and 
if  you  do  not  yield,  you  are  all  lost."  "Will  they  give  us  quarter  then?"  says 
Tom  Smith,  "and  we  will  yield."  "I'll  go  and  ask,  if  you  promise  to  yield,"  said 
Robinson :  so  he  asked  the  captain ;  and  the  captain  himself  then  calls  out,  "  You, 
Smith,  you  know  my  voice ;  if  you  lay  down  your  arms  immediately,  and  submit, 
you  shall  have  your  lives,  all  but  Will  Atkins." 

Upon  this,  Will  Atkins  cried  out,  "  For  God's  sake,  captain,  give  me  quarter ; 
what  have  I  done?  They  have  been  all  as  bad  as  I:"  which,  by  the  way,  was 
not  true ;  for,  it  seems,  this  Will  Atkins  was  the  first  man  that  laid  hold  of  the 
captain,  when  they  first  mutinied,  and  used  him  barbarously,  in  tying  his  hands 
and  giving  him  injurious  language.  However,  the  captain  told  him  he  must  lay 
down  his  arms  at  discretion,  and  trust  to  the  governor's  mercy :  by  which  he 
meant  me,  for  they  all  called  me  governor.  In  a  word,  they  all  laid  down  their 
arms,  and  begged  their  lives ;  and  I  sent  the  man  that  had  parleyed  with  them, 
and  two  more,  who  bound  them  all ;  and  then  my  great  army  of  fifty  men,  which, 
with  those  three,  were  in  all  but  eight,  came  up  and  seized  upon  them,  and  upon 
their  boat ;   only  that  I  kept  myself  and  one  more  out  of  sight,  for  reasons  of  state. 

Our  next  work  was  to  repair  the  boat,  and  think  of  seizing  the  ship ;  and  as 
for  the  captain,  now  he  had  leisure  to  parley  with  them,  he  expostulated  with  them 
upon  the  villainy  of  their  practices  with  him,  and  upon  the  further  wickedness  of 
their  design,  and  how  certainly  it  must  bring  them  to  misery  and  distress  in  the 
end,  and  perhaps  to  the  gallows.  They  all  appeared  very  penitent,  and  begged 
hard  for  their  lives.  As  for  that,  he  told  them  they  were  none  of  his  prisoners, 
but  the  commander's  of  the  island ;  that  they  thought  they  had  set  him  on  shore 
in  a  barren,  uninhabited  island ;  but  it  had  pleased  God  so  to  direct  them,  that 
it  was  inhabited,  and  that  the  governor  was  an  Englishman ;  that  he  might  hang 
them  all  there,  if  he  pleased ;  but  as  he  had  given  them  all  quarter,  he  supposed 
he  would  send  them  to  England,  to  be  dealt  with  there  as  justice  required,  except 
Atkins,  whom  he  was  commanded  by  the  governor  to  advise  to  prepare  for  death, 
for  that  he  would  be  hanged  in  the  morning. 

Though  this  was  all  a  fiction  of  ^iis  own,  yet  it  had  its  desired  effect ;  Atkins 
fell  upon  his  knees,  to  beg  the  captain  to  intercede  with  the  governor  for  his 
life ;  and  all  the  rest  begged  of  him,  for  God's  sake,  that  they  might  not  be  sent 
to  England. 

It  now  occurred  to  me  that  the  time  of  our  deliverance  was  come,  and  that 
it  would  be  a  most  easy  thing  to  bring  these  fellows  in  to  be  hearty  in  getting 
possession  of  the  ship ;  so  I  retired  in  the  dark  from  them,  that  they  might  not 
see  what  kind  of  a  governor  they  had,  and  called  the  captain  to  me ;  when  I 
called,  as  at  a  good  distance,  one  of  the  men  was  ordered  to  speak  again,  and 
say  to  the  captain,  "  Captain,  the  commander  calls  for  you ;  "  and  presently  the 
captain  replied,  "Tell  his  Excellency,  I  am  just  coming."  This  more  perfectly 
amazed  them,  and  they  all  believed  that  the  commander  was  just  by,  with  his 
fifty  men.     Upon  the   captain   coming  to   me,    I    told   him   my  project  for  seizing 


192 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


the   ship,   which  he  liked  wonderfully   well,   and   resolved  to  put   it  in  execution 

next  morning.     But,  in  order  to  execute  it  with   more   art,  and  to  be  secure   of 

success,  I  told  him  we  must 

divide  the  prisoners,  and  that 

he  should  go  and  take  Atkins, 

-    ?  and  two  more  of  the  worst  of 

them,  and  send  them  pinioned 
to  the  cave  where  the  others 
lay.  This  was  committed  to 
Friday  and  the  two  men  who 
came  on  shore  with  the  cap- 
tain. They  conveyed  them 
to  the  cave  as  to  a  prison : 
and  it  was,  indeed,  a  disma\ 
place,  especially  to  men  in 
their  condition.  The  others 
I  ordered  to  my  bower,  as  I 
called  it,  of  which  I  have 
given  a  full  description :  and 
as  it  was  fenced  in,  and  they 
pinioned,  the  place  was  secure 
enough  considering  they  were 
upon  their  behavior. 

To  these  in  the  morning 
I  sent  the  captain,  who  was 
to  enter  into  a  parley  with 
them  ;  in  a  word,  to  try  them, 
and  tell  me  whether  he 
thought  they  might  be  trusted 
or  not  to  go  on  board  and 
surprise  the  ship.  He  talked 
to  them  of  the  injury  done 
him,  of  the  condition  they 
were  brought  to,  and  that 
though  the  governor  had  given 
them  quarter  for  their  lives 
as  to  the  present  action,  yet 
that  if  they  were  sent  to 
England,  they  would  be  all 
hanged  in  chains  ;  but  that  if 

they  would  join  in   such   an   attempt  as  to  recover    the  ship,  he  would  have   the 

governor's  engagement  for  their  pardon. 

Any  one  may  guess  how  readily  such  a  proposal  would  be  accepted  by  men  in 

their  position ;   they  fell   down   on   their  knees  to  the   captain,  and  promised,  with 


HE    MADE    ROBINSON    HAIL   THEM  "    {p.    I93). 


'SHOT  THE   NEW   CAPTAIN   THROUGH   THE   HEAD. 


(Seep.  194.  > 


The  Attack  on  the  Ship.  193 

the  deepest  imprecations,  that  they  would  be  faithful  to  him  to  the  last  drop,  and 
that  they  should  owe  their  lives  to  him,  and  would  go  with  him  all  over  the 
world ;  that  they  would  own  him  for  a  father  to  them  as  long  as  they  lived. 
"  Well,"  says  the  captain,  "  I  must  go  and  tell  the  governor  what  you  say,  and  see 
what  I  can  do  to  bring  him  to  consent  to  it."  So  he  brought  me  an  account  of 
the  temper  he  found  them  in,  and  that  he. verily  believed  they  would  be  faithful. 
However,  that  we  might  be  very  secure,  I  told  him  he  should  go  back  again  and 
choose  out  five  of  them,  and  tell  them  that  they  might  see  that  he  did  not  want 
men,  that  he  would  take  out  those  five  to  be  his  assistants,  and  that  the  governor 
would  keep  the  other  two  and  the  three  that  were  sent  prisoners  to  the  castle  (my 
cave),  as  hostages  for  the  fidelity  of  those  five ;  and  that  if  they  proved  unfaithful 
in  the  execution,  the  five  hostages  should  be  hanged  in  chains  alive  on  the 
shore.  This  looked  severe,  and  convinced  them  that  the  governor  was  in  earnest ; 
however,  they  had  no  way  left  them  but  to  accept  it ;  and  it  was  now  the  business 
of  the  prisoners,  as  much  as  of  the  captain,  to  persuade  the  other  five  to  do  their 
duty. 

Our  strength  was  now  thus  ordered  for  the  expedition :  first,  the  captain,  his 
mate,  and  passenger ;  second,  then  the  two  prisoners  of  the  first  gang,  to  whom, 
having  their  character  from  the  captain,  I  had  given  their  liberty  and  trusted  them 
with  arms ;  third,  the  other  two  whom  I  had  kept  till  now  in  my  bower  pinioned, 
but,  upon  the  captain's  motion,  had  now  released ;  fourth,  these  five  released  at 
last :  so  that  they  were  twelve  in  all,  besides  five  we  kept  prisoners  in  the  cave 
for  hostages. 

I  asked  the  captain  if  he  was  willing  to  venture  with  these  hands  on  board  the 
ship  ;  for  as  for  me  and  my  man  Friday,  I  did  not  think  it  was  proper  for  us  to  stir, 
having  seven  men  left  behind ;  and  it  was  employment  enough  for  us  to  keep  them 
asunder,  and  supply  them  with  victuals.  As  to  the  five  in  the  cave,  I  resolved  to 
keep  them  fast,  but  Friday  went  in  twice  a  day  to  them,  to  supply  them  with 
necessaries ;  and  I  made  the  other  two  carry  provisions  to  a  certain  distance, 
where  Friday  was  to  take  it. 

When  I  showed  myself  to  the  two  hostages,  it  was  with  the  captain,  who  told 
them  I  was  the  person  the  governor  had  ordered  to  look  after  them  ;  and  that  it 
was  the  governor's  pleasure  that  they  should  not  stir  anywhere  but  by  my  direc- 
tion ;  that  if  they  did,  they  would  be  fetched  into  the  castle,  and  be  laid  in  irons : 
so  that  as  we  never  suffered  them  to  see  me  as  governor,  I  now  appeared  as 
another  person,  and  spoke  of  the  governor,  the  garrison,  the  castle,  and  the  like, 
upon  all  occasions. 

The  captain  now  had  no  difficulty  before  him,  but  to  furnish  his  two  boats, 
stop  the  breach  of  one,  and  man  them.  He  made  his  passenger  captain  of  one, 
with  four  other  men  ;  and  himself,  his  mate,  and  five  more,  went  in  the  other ; 
and  they  contrived  their  business  very  well,  for  they  came  up  to  the  ship  about 
midnight.  As  soon  as  they  came  within  call  of  the  ship,  he  made  Robinson  hail 
them,  and  tell  them  they  had  brought  off  the  men  and  the  boat,  but  that  it  was 
a  long  time  before  they  had  found  them,  and  the  like ;    holding   them  in  a  chat 


194  Robinson  Crusoe. 

till  they  came  to  the  ship's  side ;  when  the  captain  and  the  mate  entering  first 
with  their  arms,  immediately  knocked  down  the  second  mate  and  carpenter  with 
the  butt-end  of  their  muskets,  being  very  faithfully  seconded  by  their  men ;  they 
secured  all  the  rest  that  were  upon  the  main  and  quarter-decks,  and  began  to 
fasten  the  hatches,  to  keep  them  down  that  were  below ;  when  the  other  boat  and 
their  men,  entering  at  the  fore-chains,  secured  the  forecastle  of  the  ship,  and 
the  scuttle  which  went  down  into  the  cook-room,  making  three  men  they  found 
there  prisoners.  When  this  was  done,  and  all  safe  upon  deck,  the  captain  ordered 
the  mate,  with  three  men,  to  break  into  the  round-house,  where  the  new  rebel 
captain  lay,  who,  having  taken  the  alarm,  had  got  up,  and  with  two  men  and  a 
boy  had  got  fire-arms  in  their  hands ;  and  when  the  mate,  with  a  crow,  split  open 
the  door,  the  new  captain  and  his  men  fired  boldly  among  them,  and  wounded 
the  mate  with  a  musket-ball,  which  broke  his  arm,  and  wounded  two  more  of  the 
men,  but  killed  nobody.  The  mate,  calling  for  help,  rushed,  however,  into  the 
round-house,  wounded  as  he  was,  and,  with  his  pistol,  shot  the  new  captain 
through  the  head,  the  bullet  entering  at  his  mouth,  coming  out  again  behind  one  of 
his  ears,  so  that  he  never  spoke  a  word  more :  upon  which  the  rest  yielded,  and 
the  ship  was  taken  effectually,  without  any  more  lives  lost. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  was  thus  secured,  the  captain  ordered  seven  guns  to  be 
fired,  which  was  the  signal  agreed  upon  with  me  to  give  me  notice  of  his  success, 
which,  you  may  be  sure,  I  was  very  glad  to  hear,  having  sat  watching  upon  the 
shore  for  it  till  near  two  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Having  thus  heard  the  signal 
plainly,  I  laid  me  down ;  and  it  having  been  a  day  of  great  fatigue  to  me,  I  slept 
very  sound,  till  I  was  something  surprised  with  the  noise  of  a  gun ;  and  presently 
starting  up,  I  heard  a  man  calling  me  by  the  name  of  "  Governor !  Governor !  " 
and  presently  I  knew  the  captain's  voice ;  when  climbing  up  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  there  he  stood,  and,  pointing  to  the  ship,  he  embraced  me  in  his  arms. 
"My  dear  friend  and  deliverer,"  says  he,  "there's  your  ship;  for  she  is  all  yours, 
and  so  are  we,  and  all  that  belongs  to  her."  I  cast  my  eyes  to  the  ship,  and  there 
she  rode,  within  little  more  than  half  a  mile  of  the  shore ;  for  they  had  weighed 
her  anchor  as  soon  as  they  were  masters  of  her,  and,  the  weather  being  fair,  had 
brought  her  to  an  anchor  just  against  the  mouth  of  the  little  creek ;  and,  the  tide 
being  up,  the  captain  had  brought  the  pinnace  in  near  the  place  where  I  first 
landed  my  rafts,  so  landed  just  at  my  door.  I  was  at  first  ready  to  sink  down 
with  the  surprise ;  for  I  saw  my  deliverance,  indeed,  visibly  put  into  my  hands,  all 
things  easy,  and  a  large  ship  just  ready  to  carry  me  away  whither  I  pleased  to  go. 
At  first,  for  some  time,  I  was  not  able  to  answer  one  word ;  but  as  he  had  taken 
me  in  his  arms,  I  held  fast  by  him,  or  I  should  have  fallen  to  the  ground.  He 
perceived  the  surprise,  and  immediately  pulled  a  bottle  out  of  his  pocket,  and  gave 
me  a  dram  of  cordial,  which  he  had  brought  on  purpose  for  me.  After  I  had 
drunk  it,  I  sat  down  upon  the  ground ;  and  though  it  brought  me  to  myself,  yet 
it  was  a  good  while  before  I  could  speak  a  word  to  him.  All  this  while  the  poor 
man  was  in  as  great  an  ecstasy  as  I,  only  not  under  any  surprise  as  I  was ;  and 
he  said  a  thousand  kind  and  tender  things  to  me,  to  compose  and  bring  me  to 


The  Captain's  Gratitude.  195 

myself ;  but  such  was  the  flood  of  joy  in  my  breast,  that  it  put  all  my  spirits  into 
confusion :  at  last  it  broke  into  tears ;  and,  in  a  little  while  after,  I  recovered  my 
speech ;  then  I  took  my  turn,  and  embraced  him  as  my  deliverer,  and  we  rejoiced 
together.  I  told  him  I  looked  upon  him  as  a  man  sent  from  heaven  to  deliver 
me,  and  that  the  whole  transaction  seemed  to  be  a  chain  of  wonders ;  that  such 
things  as  these  were  the  testimonies  we  had  of  a  secret  hand  of  Providence  govern- 
ing the  world,  and  an  evidence  that  the  eye  of  an  Infinite  Power  could  search 
into  the  remotest  corner  of  the  world,  and  send  help  to  the  miserable  whenever 
He  pleased.  I  forgot  not  to  lift  up  my  heart  in  thankfulness  to  Heaven ;  and 
what  heart  could  forbear  to  bless  Him,  Who  had  not  only  in  a  miraculous  manner 
provided  for  one  in  such  a  wilderness,  and  in  such  a  desolate  condition,  but  from 
Whom  every  deliverance  must  always  be  acknowledged  to  proceed. 

When  we  had  talked  awhile,  the  captain  told  me  he  had  brought  me  some 
little  refreshments,  such  as  the  ship  afforded,  and  such  as  the  wretches  that  had 
been  so  long  his  masters  had  not  plundered  him  of.  Upon  this,  he  called  aloud 
to  the  boat,  and  bade  his  men  bring  the  things  ashore  that  were  for  the  governor ; 
and,  indeed,  it  was  a  present  as  if  I  had  been  one  that  was  not  to  be  carried 
away  along  with  them,  but  as  if  I  had  been  to  dwell  upon  the  island  still,  and 
they  were  to  go  without  me.  First,  he  had  brought  me  a  case  of  bottles  full  of 
excellent  cordial  waters,  six  large  bottles  of  Madeira  wine  (the  bottles  held  two 
quarts  each),  two  pounds  of  excellent  good  tobacco,  twelve  good  pieces  of  the 
ship's  beef,  and  six  pieces  of  pork,  with  a  bag  of  peas,  and  about  a  hundred- 
weight of  biscuit ;  he  also  brought  me  a  box  of  sugar,  a  box  of  flour,  a  bag  full 
of  lemons,  and  two  bottles  of  lime-juice,  and  abundance  of  other  things.  But  be- 
sides these,  and  what  was  a  thousand  times  more  useful,  he  brought  me  six  new 
clean  shirts,  six  very  good  neckcloths,  two  pair  of  gloves,  one  pair  of  shoes,  a  hat, 
and  one  pair  of  stockings,  and  a  very  good  suit  of  clothes  of  his  own,  which  had 
been  worn  but  very  little :  in  a  word,  he  clothed  me  from  head  to  foot.  It  was 
a  very  kind  and  agreeable  present,  as  any  one  may  imagine,  to  one  in  my  circum- 
stances ;  but  never  was  anything  in  the  world  of  that  kind  so  unpleasant,  awkward, 
and  uneasy  as  it  was  to  me  to  wear  such  clothes  at  their  first  putting  on. 

After  these  ceremonies  were  past,  and  after  all  his  good  things  were  brought 
into  my  little  apartment,  we  began  to  consult  what  was  to  be  done  with  the 
prisoners  we  had ;  for  it  was  worth  considering  whether  we  might  venture  to  take 
them  away  with  us  or  no,  especially  two  of  them,  whom  he  knew  to  be  incor- 
rigible and  refractory  to  the  last  degree ;  and  the  captain  said  he  knew  they  were 
such  rogues  that  there  was  no  obliging  them,  and  if  he  did  carry  them  away,  it 
must  be  in  irons,  as  malefactors,  to  be  delivered  over  to  justice  at  the  first  English 
colony  he  could  come  at ;  and  I  found  that  the  captain  himself  was  very  anxious 
about  it.  Upon  this,  I  told  him  that,  if  he  desired  it,  I  would  undertake  to 
bring"  the  two  men  he  spoke  of  to  make  it  their  own  request  that  he  should  leave 
them  upon  the  island.  "  I  should  be  very  glad  of  that,"  says  the  captain,  "  with 
all  my  heart."  "  Well,"  says  I,  "  I  will  send  for  them  up,  and  talk  with  them  for 
you."     So  I  caused  Friday  and  the  two  hostages,  for  they  were  now  discharged, 


196  Robinson  Crusoe. 

their  comrades  having  performed  their  promise ;  I  say,  I  caused  them  to  go  to 
the  cave,  and  bring  up  the  five  men,  pinioned  as  they  were,  to  the  bower,  and 
keep  them  there  till  I  came.  After  some  time,  I  came  thither  dressed  in  my 
new  habit ;  and  now  I  was  called  governor  again.  Being  all  met,  and  the  captain 
with  me,  I  caused  the  men  to  be  brought  before  me,  and  I  told  them  I  had  got 
a  full  account  of  their  villainous  behavior  to  the  captain,  and  how  they  had  run 
away  with  the  ship,  and  were  preparing  to  commit  further  robberies,  but  that 
Providence  had  ensnared  them  in  their  own  ways,  and  that  they  were  fallen  into 
the  pit  which  they  had  dug  for  others.  I  let  them  know  that  by  my  direction 
the  ship  had  been  seized ;  that  she  lay  now  in  the  road ;  and  they  might  see 
by  and  by  that  their  new  captain  had  received  the  reward  of  his  villainy,  for  that 
they  might  see  him  hanging  at  the  yard-arm ;  that,  as  to  them,  I  wanted  to  know 
what  they  had  to  say  why  I  should  not  execute  them  as  pirates,  taken  in  the 
fact,  as  by  my  commission  they  could  not  doubt  but  I  had  authority  to  do. 

One  of  them  answered  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  that  they  had  nothing  to  say 
but  this,  that  when  they  were  taken,  the  captain  promised  them  their  lives,  and 
they  humbly  implored  my  mercy.  But  I  told  them  I  knew  not  what  mercy  to 
show  them ;  for  as  for  myself  I  had  resolved  to  quit  the  island  with  all  my  men, 
and  had  taken  passage  with  the  captain  to  go  to  England ;  and  as  for  the  captain, 
he  could  not  carry  them  to  England  other  than  as  prisoners  in  irons,  to  be  tried 
for  mutiny,  and  running  away  with  the  ship  ;  the  consequence  of  which,  they  must 
needs  know,  would  be  the  gallows ;  so  that  I  could  not  tell  what  was  the  best  for 
them,  unless  they  had  a  mind  to  take  their  fate  in  the  island.  If  they  desired 
that,  I  did  not  care  ;  as  I  had  liberty  to  leave  it,  I  had  some  inclination  to  give 
them  their  lives,  if  they  thought  they  could  shift  on  shore.  They  seemed  very 
thankful  for  it,  and  said  they  would  much  rather  venture  to  stay  there  than  be 
carried  to  England  to  be  hanged.     So  I  left  it  on  that  issue. 

However,  the  captain  seemed  to  make  some  difficulty  of  it,  as  if  he  durst  not 
leave  them  there.  Upon  this  I  seemed  a  little  angry  with  the  captain,  and  told 
him  that  they  were  my  prisoners,  not  his ;  and,  that  seeing  I  had  offered  them 
so  much  favor,  I  would  be  as  good  as  my  word ;  and  that  if  he  did  not  think 
fit  to  consent  to  it,  I  would  set  them  at  liberty,  as  I  found  them ;  and  if  he  did 
not  like  it,  he  might  take  them  again  if  he  could  catch  them.  Upon  this  they 
appeared  very  thankful,  and  I  accordingly  set  them  at  liberty,  and  bade  them 
retire  into  the  woods,  to  the  place  whence  they  came,  and  I  would  leave  them 
some  fire-arms,  some  ammunition,  and  some  directions  how  they  should  live  very 
well,  if  they  thought  fit.  Upon  this  I  prepared  to  go  on  board  the  ship ;  but 
told  the  captain  I  would  stay  that  night  to  prepare  my  things,  and  desired  him 
to  go  on  board  in  the  meantime,  and  keep  all  right  in  the  ship,  and  send  the 
boat  on  shore  next  day  for  me ;  ordering  him,  in  the  meantime,  to  cause  the 
new  captain,  who  was  killed,  to  be  hanged  at  the  yard-arm,  that  these  men  might 
see  him. 

When  the  captain  was  gone,  I  sent  for  the  men  up  to  me  in  my  apartment 
and  entered  seriously  into  discourse  with  them  of  their  circumstances.     I  told  them 


The  Fate  of  the  New  Captain. 


197 


I  thought  they  had  made  a  right  choice ; 
but  if  the  captain  had  carried  them  away, 
they  would  certainly  be  hanged.  I  showed 
them  the  new  captain  hanging  at  the  yard- 
arm  of  the  ship,  and  told  them  they  had  noth- 
ing less  to  expect. 

When  they  had  all  declared  their  willing- 
ness to  stay,  I  told  them  I  would  let  them 
into  the  story  of  my  living  there,  and  put 
them  into  the  way  of  making  it  easy  to 
them.  Accordingly,  I  gave  them  the  whole 
history  of  the  place,  and  of  my  coming  to 
it ;  showed  them  my  fortifications,  the  way  I 
made  my  bread,  planted  my  corn,  cured  my 


"  I    SHOWED    THEM    THE    NEW    CAPTAIN    HANGING   AT   THE    YARD-ARM    OF   THE    SHIP.:> 


grapes ;  and,  in  a  word,  all  that  was  necessary  to  make  them  easy.  I  told  them 
the  story  also  of  the  sixteen  Spaniards,  that  were  to  be  expected,  for  whom  I  left  a 
letter,  and  made  them  promise  to  treat  them  m  common  with  themselves. 


198  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  left  them  my  fire-arms,  viz.,  five  muskets,  three  fowling-pieces,  and  three 
swords.  I  had  above  a  barrel  and  a  half  of  powder  left ;  for  after  the  first  year 
or  two  I  used  but  little,  and  wasted  none.  I  gave  them  a  description  of  the  way 
I  managed  the  goats,  and  directions  to  milk  and  fatten  them,  and  to  make  both 
butter  and  cheese.  In  a  word,  I  gave  them  every  part  of  my  story ;  and  told 
them  I  should  prevail  with  the  captain  to  leave  them  two  barrels  of  gunpowder 
more,  and  some  garden-seeds,  which  I  told  them  I  would  have  been  very  glad  of. 
Also,  I  gave  them  the  bag  of  peas  which  the  captain  had  brought  me  to  eat,  and 
bade  them  be  sure  to  sow  and  increase  them. 

Having  done  all  this,  I  left  the  next  day,  and  went  on  board  the  ship.  We 
prepared  immediately  to  sail,  but  did  not  weigh  that  night.  The  next  morning 
early,  two  of  the  five  men  came  swimming  to  the  ship's  side,  and  made  the  most 
lamentable  complaint  of  the  other  three,  begged  to  be  taken  into  the  ship  for 
God's  sake,  for  they  should  be  murdered,  and  begged  the  captain  to  take  them  on 
board,  though  he  hanged  them  immediately.  Upon  this,  the  captain  pretended  to 
have  no  power  without  me ;  but  after  some  difficulty,  and  after  their  solemn 
promises  of  amendment,  they  were  taken  on  board,  and  were,  some  time  after, 
soundly  whipped  and  pickled ;  after  which  they  proved  very  honest  and 
quiet  fellows. 

Some  time  after  this,  I  went  with  the  boat  on  shore,  the  tide  being  up,  with 
the  things  promised  to  the  men ;  to  which  the  captain,  at  my  intercession,  caused 
their  chests  and  clothes  to  be  added,  which  they  took,  and  were  very  thankful  for. 
I  also  encouraged  them,  by  telling  them,  that  if  it  lay  in  my  way  to  send  any 
vessel  to  take  them  in,  I  would  not  forget  them. 

When  I  took  leave  of  this  island,  I  carried  on  board,  for  relics,  the  great 
goat-skin  cap  I  had  made,  my  umbrella,  and  one  of  my  parrots  ;  also  I  forgot  not 
to  take  the  money  I  formerly  mentioned,  which  had  lain  by  me  so  long  useless 
that  it  was  grown  rusty  or  tarnished,  and  could  hardly  pass  for  silver  till  it  had 
been  a  little  rubbed  and  handled,  and  also  the  money  I  found  in  the  wreck  of 
the  Spanish  ship.  And  thus  I  left  the  island,  the  19th  of  December,  as  I  found 
by  the  ship's  account,  in  the  year  1686,  after  I  had  been  upon  it  eight-and-twenty 
years,  two  months,  and  nineteen  days ;  being  delivered  from  the  second  captivity 
the  same  day  of  the  month  that  I  first  made  my  escape  in  the  Barco  longo  from 
among  the  Moors  of  Sallee.  In  this  vessel,  after  a  long  voyage,  I  arrived  in 
England  the  nth  of  June,  in  the  year  1687,  having  been  thirty-five  years  absent. 

When  I  came  to  England,  I  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  all  the  world,  as  if  I 
had  never  been  known  there.  My  benefactor  and  faithful  steward,  whom  I  had 
left  my  money  in  trust  with,  was  alive,  but  had  had  great  misfortunes  in  the 
world ;  was  become  a  widow  the  second  time,  and  very  low  in  the  world.  I  made 
her  easy  as  to  what  she  owed  me,  assuring  her  I  would  give  her  no  trouble  ;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  in  gratitude  for  her  former  care  and  faithfulness  to  me,  I  relieved 
her  as  my  little  stock  would  afford  ;  which  at  that  time  would,  indeed,  allow  me 
to  do  but  little  for  her :  but  I  assured  her  I  would  never  forget  her  former  kind- 
ness to  me ;   nor  did  I  forget  her  when   I   had  sufficient  to  help  her,   as  shall  be 


In  England  Again.  199 

observed  in  its  place.  I  went  down  afterwards  into  Yorkshire ;  but  my  father 
was  dead,  and  my  mother  and  all  the  family  extinct,  except  that  I  found  two 
sisters,  and  two  of  the  children  of  one  of  my  brothers ;  and  as  I  had  been  long 
ago  given  over  for  dead,  there  had  been  no  provision  made  for  me ;  so  that  in  a 
word,  I  found  nothing  to  relieve  or  assist  me ;  and  that  little  money  I  had  would 
not  do  much  for  me  as  to  settling  in  the  world. 

I  met  with  one  piece  of  gratitude,  indeed,  which  I  did  not  expect ;  and  this 
was,  that  the  master  of  the  ship,  whom  I  had  so  happily  delivered,  and  by  the 
same  means  saved  the  ship  and  cargo,  having  given  a  very  handsome  account  to 
the  owners,  of  the  manner  how  I  had  saved  the  lives  of  the  men,  and  the  ship, 
they  invited  me  to  meet  them  and  some  other  merchants  concerned,  and  alto- 
gether made  me  a  very  handsome  compliment  upon  the  subject,  and  a  present  of 
almost  ^200  sterling. 

But  after  making  several  reflections  upon  the  circumstances  of  my  life,  and 
how  little  way  this  would  go  towards  settling  me  in  the  world,  I  resolved  to  go 
to  Lisbon,  and  see  if  I  might  not  come  by  some  information  of  the  state  of 
my  plantation  in  the  Brazils,  and  of  what  was  become  of  my  partner,  who,  I  had 
reason  to  suppose,  had  some  years  now  given  me  over  for  dead.  With  this  view 
I  took  shipping  for  Lisbon,  where  I  arrived  in  April  following ;  my  man  Friday 
accompanying  me  very  honestly  in  all  these  ramblings,  and  proving  a  most  faithful 
servant  upon  all  occasions.  When  I  came  to  Lisbon,  I  found  out,  by  inquiry, 
and  to  my  particular  satisfaction,  my  old  friend,  the  captain  of  the  ship,  who  first 
took  me  up  at  sea  off  the  shore  of  Africa.  He  was  now  grown  old,  and  had  left  the 
sea,  having  put  his  son,  who  was  far  from  a  young  man,  into  his  ship,  and  who 
still  used  the  Brazil  trade.  The  old  man  did  not  know  me ;  and  indeed,  I  hardly 
knew  him.  But  I  soon  brought  myself  to  his  remembrance,  when  I  told  him  who 
I  was. 

After  some  passionate  expressions  of  the  old  acquaintance  between  us,  I  in- 
quired, you  may  be  sure,  after  my  plantation  and  my  partner.  The  old  man  told 
me  he  had  not  been  in  the  Brazils  for  about  nine  years ;  but  that  he  could  assure 
me,  that  when  he  came  away  my  partner  was  living ;  but  the  trustees,  whom  I 
had  joined  with  him  to  take  cognizance  of  my  part,  were  both  dead ;  that,  how- 
ever, he  believed  that  I  would  have  a  very  good  account  of  the  improvement  of 
the  plantation ;  for  that,  upon  the  general  belief  of  my  being  cast  away  and 
drowned,  my  trustees  had  given  in  the  account  of  the  produce  of  my  part  of  the 
plantation  to  the  procurator-fiscal,  who  had  appropriated  it,  in  case  I  never  came 
to  claim  it,  one-third  to  the  king,  and  two-thirds  to  the  monastery  of  St.  Augustine, 
to  be  expended  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  and  for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians 
to  the  Catholic  faith ;  but  that,  if  I  appeared,  or  any  one  for  me,  to  claim  the 
inheritance,  it  would  be  restored ;  only  that  the  improvement,  or  annual  produc- 
tion, being  distributed  to  charitable  uses,  could  not  be  restored ;  but  he  assured 
me  that  the  steward  of  the  king's  revenue  from  lands,  and  the  providore,  or 
steward  of  the  monastery,  had  taken  great  care  all  along  that  the  incumbent,  that 
is  to  say,  my  partner,  gave  every  year  a  faithful  account  of  the  produce,  of  which 


200  Robinson  Crusoe. 

they  had  received  duly  my  moiety.  I  asked  him  if  he  knew  to  what  height  of 
improvement  he  had  brought  the  plantation,  and  whether  he  thought  it  might  be 
worth  looking  after ;  or  whether,  on  my  going  thither,  I  should  meet  with  any 
obstruction  to  my  possessing  my  just  right  in  the  moiety.  He  told  me  he  could 
not  tell  exactly  to  what  degree  the  plantation  was  improved ;  but  this  he  knew, 
that  my  partner  was  grown  exceeding  rich  upon  the  enjoying  but  one-half  of  it ; 
and  that  to  the  best  of  his  remembrance,  he  had  heard  that  the  king's  third  of  my 
part,  which  was,  it  seems,  granted  away  to  some  other  monastery  or  religious  house, 
amounted  to  above  two  hundred  moidores  a  year :  that  as  to  my  being  restored 
to  a  quiet  possession  of  it,  there  was  no  question  to  be  made  of  that,  my  partner 
being  alive  to  witness  my  title,  and  my  name  being  also  enrolled  in  the  register  of 
the  country ;  also  he  told  me  that  the  survivors  of  my  two  trustees  were  very 
fair,  honest  people,  and  very  wealthy ;  and  he  believed  I  would  not  only  have  their 
assistance  for  putting  me  in  possession,  but  would  find  a  very  considerable  sum  of 
money  in  their  hands  for  my  account,  being  the  produce  of  the  farm  while  their 
father  held  the  trust,  and  before  it  was  given  up,  as  above ;  which,  as  he  remem- 
bered, was  for  about  twelve  years. 

I  showed  myself  a  little  concerned  and  uneasy  at  this  account,  and  inquired  of 
the  old  captain  how  it  came  to  pass  that  the  trustees  should  thus  dispose  of  my 
effects,  when  he  knew  that  I  had  made  my  will,  and  had  made  him,  the  Portuguese 
captain,  my  universal  heir,  etc. 

He  told  me  that  was  true ;  but  that  as  there  was  no  proof  of  my  being  dead 
he  could  not  act  as  executor,  until  some  certain  account  should  come  of  my  death ; 
and  that  besides,  he  was  not  willing  to  intermeddle  with  a  thing  so  remote ;  that 
it  was  true  he  had  registered  my  will,  and  put  in  his  claim ;  and  could  he  have 
given  any  account  of  my  being  dead  or  alive,  he  would  have  acted  by  procuration, 
and  taken  possession  of  the  ingenio  (so  they  call  the  sugar-house),  and  have  given 
his  son,  who  was  now  at  the  Brazils,  orders  to  do  it.  "  But,"  says  the  old  man, 
"  I  have  one  piece  of  news  to  tell  you,  which  perhaps  may  not  be  so  acceptable 
to  you  as  the  rest ;  and  that  is,  believing  you  were  lost,  and  all  the  world  believing 
so  also,  your  partner  and  trustees  did  offer  to  account  with  me,  in  your  name, 
for  the  first  six  or  eight  years'  profits,  which  I  received.  There  being  at  that 
time  great  disbursements  for  increasing  the  works,  building  an  ingenio,  and  buying 
slaves,  it  did  not  amount  to  near  so  much  as  afterwards  it  produced :  however,"  says 
the  old  man,  "  I  shall  give  you  a  true  account  of  what  I  have  received  in  all,  and 
how  I  have  disposed  of  it." 

After  a  few  days'  further  conference  with  this  ancient  friend,  he  brought  me  an 
account  of  the  first  six  years'  income  of  my  plantation,  signed  by  my  partner  and 
the  merchant-trustees,  being  always  delivered  in  goods,  viz.,  tobacco  in  roll,  and 
sugar  in  chests,  besides  rum,  molasses,  etc.,  which  is  the  consequence  of  a  sugar- 
work  ;  and  I  found  by  this  account  that  every  year  the  income  considerably  in- 
creased ;  but,  as  above,  the  disbursements  being  large,  the  sum  at  first  was  small ; 
however,  the  old  man  let  me  see  that  he  was  debtor  to  me  four  hundred  and 
seventy  moidores  of  gold,  besides  sixty  chests  of  sugar,  and  fifteen  double  rolls  of 


The  Old  Captain's  Accounts. 


201 


tobacco,  which  were  lost  in  his  ship ;  he  having  been  shipwrecked  coming  home 
to  Lisbon,  about  eleven  years  after  my  leaving  the  place.  The  good  man  then 
began  to  complain  of  his  misfortunes,  and  how  he  had  been  obliged  to  make  use 
of  my  money  to  recover  his  losses,  and  buy  him  a  share  in  a  new  ship.  "  How- 
ever, my  old  friend,"  says  he,  "  you  shall  not  want  a  supply  in  your  necessity ; 
and  as  soon  as  my  son  returns,  you  shall  be  fully  satisfied."  Upon  this  he  pulls 
out  an  old  pouch,  and  gives  me  one  hundred  and  sixty  Portugal  moidores  in  gold ; 


f^s-^ 


UPON  THIS  HE  PULLS  OUT  AN  OLD  TOUCH. 


and  giving  me  the  writings  of  his  title  to  the  ship,  which  his  son  was  gone  to  the 
Brazils  in,  of  which  he  was  quarter-part  owner,  and  his  son  another,  he  puts  them 
both  in  my  hands  for  security  of  the  rest. 

I  was  too  much  moved  with  the  honesty  and  kindness  of  the  poor  man  to  be 
able  to  bear  this ;  and  remembering  what  he  had  done  for  me,  how  he  had  taken 
me  up  at  sea,  and  how  generously  he  had  used  me  on  all  occasions,  and  particu- 
larly how  sincere  a  friend  he  was  now  to  me,  I  could  hardly  refrain  weeping  at 
what  he  had  said  to  me ;  therefore,  first,  I  asked  him  if  his  circumstances  admitted 
him  to  spare  so  much  money  at  that  time,  and  if  it  would  not  straiten  him?  He 
told  me  he  could  not  say  but  it  might  straiten  him  a  little ;  but,  however,  it  was 
my  money,  and  I  might  want  it  more  than  he. 


202  Rob nv sox  Crusoe. 

Everything  the  good  man  said  was  full  of  affection,  and  I  could  hardly  refrain 
from  tears  while  he  spoke ;  in  short,  I  took  one  hundred  of  the  raoidores,  and 
called  for  a  pen  and  ink  to  give  him  a  receipt  for  them :  then  I  returned  him  the 
rest,  and  told  him  if  ever  I  had  possession  of  the  plantation  I  would  return  the 
other  to  him  also  (as,  indeed,  I  afterwards  did) ;  and  that  as  to  the  bill  of  sale 
of  his  part  in  his  son's  ship,  I  would  not  take  it  by  any  means ;  but  that  if  I 
wanted  the  money,  I  found  he  was  honest  enough  to  pay  me ;  and  if  I  did  not, 
but  came  to  receive  what  he  gave  me  reason  to  expect,  I  would  never  have  a 
penny  more  from  him. 

When  this  was  past,  the  old  man  began  to  ask  me  if  he  should  put  me  into  a 
method  to  make  my  claim  to  my  plantation.  I  told  him  I  thought  to  go  over  to 
it  myself.  He  said  I  might  do  so  if  I  pleased ;  but  that,  if  I  did  not,  there  were 
ways  enough  to  secure  my  right,  and  immediately  to  appropriate  the  profits  to  my 
use :  and  as  there  were  ships  in  the  river  of  Lisbon  just  ready  to  go  away  to 
Brazil,  he  made  me  enter  my  name  in  a  public  register,  with  his  affidavit,  affirming, 
upon  oath,  that  I  was  alive,  and  that  I  was  the  same  person  who  took  up  the 
land  for  the  planting  the  said  plantation  at  first.  This  being  regularly  attested  by 
a  notary,  and  a  procuration  affixed,  he  directed  me  to  send  it,  with  a  letter  of  his 
writing,  to  a  merchant  of  his  acquaintance  at  the  place  ;  and  then  proposed  my 
staying  with  him  till  an  account  came  of  the  return. 

Never  was  anything  more  honorable  than  the  proceedings  upon  this  procura- 
tion ;  for  in  less  than  seven  months  I  received  a  large  packet  from  the  survivors 
of  my  trustees,  the  merchants,  for  whose  account  I  went  to  sea,  in  which  were  the 
following  particular  letters  and  papers  inclosed. 

First,  there  was  the  account-current  of  the  produce  of  my  farm  or  plantation, 
from  the  year  when  their  father  had  balanced  with  my  old  Portugal  captain,  being 
for  six  years  ;  the  balance  appeared  to  be  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  moidores  in  my  favor. 

Secondly,  there  was  the  account  of  four  years  more,  while  they  kept  the  effects 
in  their  hands,  before  the  government  claimed  the  administration,  as  being  the 
effects  of  a  person  not  to  be  found,  which  they  called  civil  death ;  and  the  balance 
of  this,  the  value  of  the  plantation  increasing,  amounted  to  nineteen  thousand  four 
hundred  and  forty-six  crusadoes,  being  about  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  forty 
moidores. 

Thirdly,  there  was  the  Prior  of  the  Augustines'  account,  who  had  received  the 
profits  for  above  fourteen  years  ;  but  not  being  able  to  account  for  what  was  disposed 
of  by  the  hospital,  very  honestly  declared  he  had  eight  hundred  and  seventy-two 
moidores  not  distributed,  which  he  acknowledged  to  my  account :  as  to  the  king's 
part,  that  refunded  nothing. 

There  was  also  a  letter  of  my  partner's,  congratulating  me  very  affectionately 
upon  my  being  alive,  giving  me  an  account  how  the  estate  was  improved,  and 
what  it  produced  a  year ;  with  the  particulars  of  the  number  of  squares  or  acres 
that  it  contained,  how  planted,  how  many  slaves  there  were  upon  it :  and  making 
two-and-twenty  crosses  for  blessings,  told  me  he  had  said  so  many  Ave  Marias  to 


Wealth.  203 

thank  the  Blessed  Virgin  that  I  was  alive ;  inviting  me  very  passionately  to  come 
over  and  take  possession  of  my  own ;  and,  in  the  meantime,  to  give  him  orders 
to  whom  he  should  deliver  my  effects,  if  I  did  not  come  myself ;  concluding  with 
a  hearty  tender  of  his  friendship,  and  that  of  his  family ;  and  sent  me,  as  a  present, 
seven  fine  leopards'  skins,  which  he  had,  it  seems,  received  from  Africa,  by  some  other 
ship  that  he  had  sent  thither,  and  which,  it  seems,  had  made  a  better  voyage  than  I. 
He  sent  me  also  five  chests  of  excellent  sweetmeats,  and  a  hundred  pieces  of  gold 
uncoined,  not  quite  so  large  as  moidores.  By  the  same  fleet,  my  two  merchant- 
trustees  shipped  me  one  thousand  two  hundred  chests  of  sugar,  eight  hundred 
rolls  of  tobacco,  and  the  rest  of  the  whole  account  in  gold. 

I  might  well  say  now,  indeed,  that  the  latter  end  of  Job  was  better  than  the 
beginning.  It  is  impossible  to  express  the  flutterings  of  my  very  heart  when  I 
looked  over  these  letters,  and  especially  when  I  found  all  my  wealth  about  me ; 
for  as  the  Brazil  ships  come  all  in  fleets,  the  same  ships  which  brought  my  letters 
brought  my  goods :  and  the  effects  were  safe  in  the  river  before  the  letters  came 
to  my  hand.  In  a  word,  I  turned  pale,  and  grew  sick ;  and,  had  not  the  old 
man  run  and  fetched  me  a  cordial,  I  believe  the  sudden  surprise  of  joy  had  overset 
nature,  and  I  had  died  upon  the  spot :  nay,  after  that,  I  continued  very  ill,  and 
was  so  some  hours,  till  a  physician  being  sent  for,  and  something  of  the  real 
cause  of  my  illness  being  known,  he  ordered  me  to  let  blood ;  after  which  I  had 
relief,  and  grew  well :  but  I  verily  believe,  if  I  had  not  been  eased  by  the  vent  given 
in  that  manner  to  the  spirits,  I  should  have  died. 

I  was. now  master,  all  on  a  sudden,  of  above  fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling  in 
money,  and  had  an  estate,  as  I  might  well  call  it,  in  the  Brazils,  of  above  a 
thousand  pounds  a  year,  as  sure  as  an  estate  of  lands  in  England :  and,  in  a 
word,  I  was  in  a  condition  which  I  scarce  knew  how  to  understand,  or  how  to 
compose  myself  for  the  enjoyment  of.  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  recompense 
my  original  benefactor,  my  good  old  captain,  who  had  been  first  charitable  to  me 
in  my  distress,  kind  to  me  in  the  beginning,  and  honest  to  me  at  the  end.  I 
showed  him  all  that  was  sent  to  me ;  I  told  him  that,  next  to  the  providence  of 
Heaven,  which  disposes  all  things,  it  was  owing  to  him ;  and  that  it  now  lay  on 
me  to  reward  him,  which  I  would  do  a  hundred-fold ;  so  I  first  returned  to  him 
the  hundred  moidores  I  had  received  of  him ;  then  I  sent  for  a  notary,  and 
caused  him  to  draw  up  a  general  release  or  discharge  from  the  four  hundred  and 
seventy  moidores,  which  he  had  acknowledged  he  owed  me,  in  the  fullest  and 
firmest  manner  possible.  After  which,  I  caused  a  procuration  to  be  drawn, 
empowering  him  to  be  the  receiver  of  the  annual  profits  of  my  plantation  ;  and 
appointing  my  partner  to  account  him,  and  make  the  returns,  by  the  usual  fleets, 
to  him  in  my  name ;  and  by  a  clause  in  the  end,  made  a  grant  of  one  hundred 
moidores  a  year  to  him  during  his  life,  out  of  the  effects,  and  fifty  moidores  a 
year  to  his  son  after  him,  for  his  life :   and  thus  I  requited  my  old  man. 

I  had  now  to  consider  which  way  to  steer  my  course  next,  and  what  to  do 
with  the  estate  that  Providence  had  thus  put  into  my  hands ;  and  indeed,  I  had 
more  care  upon  my  head  now   than  I  had  in  my  silent  state  of  life  in  the  island, 


204  Robinson  Crusoe. 

where  I  wanted  nothing  but  what  I  had,  and  had  nothing  but  what  I  wanted ; 
whereas  I  had  now  a  great  charge  upon  me,  and  my  business  was  how  to  secure 
it.  I  had  not  a  cave  now  to  hide  my  money  in,  or  a  place  where  it  might  lie 
without  lock  or  key,  till  it  grew  moldy  and  tarnished  before  anybody  would  meddle 
with  it ;  on  the  contrary,  I  knew  not  where  to  put  it,  or  whom  to  trust  with  it. 
My  old  patron,  the  captain,  indeed,  was  honest,  and  that  was  the  only  refuge  I 
had.  In  the  next  place,  my  interest  in  the  Brazils  seemed  to  summon  me  thither; 
but  now  I  could  not  tell  how  to  think  of  going  thither  till  I  had  settled  my 
affairs,  and  left  my  effects  in  some  safe  hands  behind  me.  At  first  I  thought  of 
my  old  friend  the  widow,  who  I  knew  was  honest,  and  would  be  just  to  me  ;  but 
then  she  was  in  years,  and  but  poor,  and,  for  aught  I  knew,  might  be  in  debt ; 
so  that,  in  a  word,  I  had  no  way  but  to  go  back  to  England  myself,  and  take 
my  effects  with  me. 

It  was  some  m'onths,  however,  before  I  resolved  upon  this ;  and  therefore,  as  I 
had  rewarded  the  old  captain  fully,  and  to  his  satisfaction,  who  had  been  my 
former  benefactor,  so  I  began  to  think  of  my  poor  widow,  whose  husband  had 
been  my  first  benefactor,  and  she,  while  it  was  in  her  power,  my  faithful  steward 
and  instructor.  So,  the  first  thing  I  did,  I  got  a  merchant  in  Lisbon  to  write  to 
his  correspondent  in  London,  not  only  to  pay  a  bill,  but  to  go  find  her  out,  and 
carry  her,  in  money,  a  hundred  pounds  from  me,  and  to  talk  with  her,  and 
comfort  her  in  her  poverty,  by  telling  her  she  should,  if  I  lived,  have  a  further 
supply :  at  the  same  time,  I  sent  my  two  sisters  in  the  country  a  hundred  pounds 
each,  they  being,  though  not  in  want,  yet  not  in  very  good  circumstances ;  one 
having  been  married  and  left  a  widow ;  and  the  other  having  a  husband  not  so 
kind  to  her  as  he  should  be.  But,  among  all  my  relations  or  acquaintances,  I 
could  not  yet  pitch  upon  one  to  whom  I  durst  commit  the  gross  of  my  stock,  that 
I  might  go  away  to  the  Brazils,  and  leave  things  safe  behind  me  ;  and  this  greatly 
perplexed  me. 

I  had  once  a  mind  to  have  gone  to  the  Brazils,  and  have  settled  myself  there, 
for  I  was,  as  it  were,  naturalized  to  the  place  ;  but  I  had  some  little  scruple  in 
my  mind  about  religion,  which  insensibly  drew  me  back,  of  which  I  shall  say 
more  presently.  However,  it  was  not  religion  that  kept  me  from  going  there  for 
the  present ;  and  as  I  had  made  no  scruple  of  being  openly  of  the  religion  of  the 
country  all  the  while  I  was  among  them,  so  neither  did  I  yet ;  only  that,  now  and 
then,  having  of  late  thought  more  of  it  than  formerly,  when  I  began  to  think  of 
living  and  dying  among  them,  I  began  to  regret  my  having  professed  myself  a 
Papist,  and  thought  it  might  not  be  the  best  religion  to  die  with. 

But,  as  I  have  said,  this  was  not  the  main  thing  that  kept  me  from  going  to 
the  Brazils,  but  that  really  I  did  not  know  with  whom  to  leave  my  effects  behind 
me ;  so  I  resolved  at  last  to  go  to  England  with  them,  where,  if  I  arrived,  I 
concluded  I  should  make  some  acquaintance,  or  find  some  relations,  that  would 
be  faithful  to  me ;  and,  accordingly,  I  prepared  to  go  to  England  with  all  my 
wealth. 

In  order  to  prepare  things  for  my  going   home,   I  first  (the   Brazil  fleet  being 


Preparations  for  Departure. 


205 


just  going  away)  resolved  to  give  answers  suitable  to  the  just  and  faithful  account 
of  things  I  had  from  thence ;  and,  first,  to  the  Prior  of  St.  Augustine,  I  wrote  a 
letter  full  of  thanks  for  his  just  dealings,  and  the  offer  of  the  eight  hundred  and 
seventy-two  moidores  which  were  undisposed  of,  which  I  desired  might  be  given, 
five  hundred  to  the  monastery,  and  three  hundred  and  seventy-two  to  the  poor, 


"two  of  the  wolves  flew  upon  the  guide"  (/.  20S). 


as  the  prior  should  direct ;  desiring  the  good  padre's  prayers  for  me,  and  the  like. 
I  wrote  next  a  letter  of  thanks  to  my  two  trustees,  with  all  the  acknowledgment 
that  so  much  justice  and  honesty  called  for :  as  for  sending  them  any  present, 
they  were  far  above  having  any  occasion  of  it.  Lastly,  I  wrote  to  my  partner, 
acknowledging  his  industry  in  the  improving  the  plantation,  and  his  integrity  in 
increasing  the  stock  of  the  works ;  giving  him  instructions  for  his  future  govern- 
ment of  my  part,  according  to  the  powers  I  had  left  with  my  old  patron,  to 
whom  I  desired  him  to  send  whatever  became  due  to  me,  till  he  should  hear 
from  me  more  particularly ;  assuring  him  that  it  was  my  intention  not  only  to 
come  to  him,  but  to  settle  myself  there  for  the  remainder  of  my  life.     To  this  I 


206  Robinson  Crusoe. 

added  a  very  handsome  present  of  some  Italian  silks  for  his  wife  and  two  daughters, 
for  such  the  captain's  son  informed  me  he  had ;  with  two  pieces  of  fine  English 
broadcloth,  the  best  I  could  get  in  Lisbon,  five  pieces  of  black  baize,  and  some 
Flanders  lace  of  a  good  value. 

Having  thus  settled  my  affairs,  sold  my  cargo,  and  turned  all  my  effects  into 
good  bills  of  exchange,  my  next  difficulty  was  which  way  to  go  to  England :  I 
had  been  accustomed  enough  to  the  sea,  and  yet  I  had  a  strange  aversion  to  go  to 
England  by  sea  at  that  time ;  and  though  I  could  give  no  reason  for  it,  yet  the  diffi- 
culty increased  upon  me  so  much,  that  though  I  had  once  shipped  my  baggage  in 
order  to  go,  yet  I  altered  my  mind,  and  that  not  once,  but  two  or  three  times. 

It  is  true  I  had  been  very  unfortunate  by  sea,  and  that  might  be  one  of  the 
reasons ;  but  let  no  man  slight  the  strong  impulses  of  his  own  thoughts  in  cases  of 
such  moment :  two  of  the  ships  which  I  had  singled  out  to  go  in — I  mean,  more 
particularly  singled  out  than  any  other — having  put  my  things  on  board  one  of 
them,  and  in  the  other  having  agreed  with  the  captain ;  I  say  two  of  these  ships 
miscarried;  viz.,  one  was  taken  by  the  Algerines,  and  the  other  was  cast  away  on 
the  Start,  near  Torbay,  and  all  the  people  drowned,  except  three ;  so  that  in 
either  of  those  vessels  I  had  been  made  miserable,  in  which  most,  it  was  hard  to 
say. 

Having  been  thus  harassed  in  my  thoughts,  my  old  pilot,  to  whom  I  com- 
municated everything,  pressed  me  earnestly  not  to  go  by  sea,  but  either  to  go  by 
land  to  the  Groyne,  and  cross  over  the  Bay  of  Biscay  to  Rochelle,  from  whence 
it  was  but  an  easy  and  safe  journey  by  land  to  Paris,  and  so  to  Calais  and 
Dover ;  or  to  go  up  to  Madrid,  and  so  all  the  way  by  land  through  France. 
In  a  word,  I  was  so  prepossessed  against  my  going  by  sea  at  all,  except  from  Calais 
to  Dover,  that  I  resolved  to  travel  all  the  way  by  land ;  which,  as  I  was  not  in 
haste,  and  did  not  value  the  charge,  was  by  much  the  pleasanter  way :  and  to 
make  it  more  so,  my  old  captain  brought  an  English  gentleman,  the  son  of  a 
merchant  in  Lisbon,  who  was  willing  to  travel  with  me ;  after  which  we  picked  up 
two  more  English  merchants  also,  and  two  young  Portuguese  gentlemen,  the  last 
going  to  Paris  only ;  so  that  in  all,  there  were  six  of  us,  and  five  servants ;  the  two 
merchants  and  the  two  Portuguese  contenting  themselves  with  one  servant  between 
two,  to  save  the  charge ;  and  as  for  me,  I  got  an  English  sailor  to  travel  with  me 
as  a  servant,  besides  my  man  Friday,  who  was  too  much  a  stranger  to  be  capable 
of  supplying  the  place  of  a  servant  upon  the  road. 

In  this  manner  I  set  out  from  Lisbon ;  and  our  company  being  very  well 
mounted  and  armed,  we  made  a  little  troop,  whereof  they  did  me  the  honor  to 
call  me  captain,  as  well  because  I  was  the  oldest  man,  as  because  I  had  two 
servants,  and,  indeed,  was  the  origin  of  the  whole  journey. 

As  I  have  troubled  you  with  none  of  my  sea  journals,  so  I  shall  trouble 
you  now  with  none  of  my  land  journals ;  but  some  adventures  that  happened  to  us 
in  this  tedious  and  difficult  journey  I  must  not  omit. 

AVhen  we  came  to  Madrid,  we  being  all  of  us  strangers  to  Spain,  were  willing 
to  stay  some  time  to  see  the  court  of  Spain,  and  what  was  worth  observing ;   but, 


In  Spain.  207 

it  being  the  latter  part  of  the  summer,  we  hastened  away,  and  set  out  from 
Madrid  about  the  middle  of  October ;  but  when  we  came  to  the  edge  of  Navarre, 
we  were  alarmed,  at  several  towns  on  the  way,  with  an  account  that  so  much 
snow  was  fallen  on  the  French  side  of  the  mountains,  that  several  travelers  were 
obliged  to  come  back  to  Pampeluna,  after  having  attempted  at  an  extreme  hazard 
to  pass  on. 

When  we  came  to  Pampeluna  itself,  we  found  it  so  indeed ;  and  to  me,  that 
had  been  always  used  to  a  hot  climate,  and  to  countries  where  I  could  scarce 
bear  any  clothes  on,  the  cold  was  insufferable ;  nor,  indeed,  was  it  more  painful 
than  it  was  surprising,  to  come  but  ten  days  before  out  of  Old  Castile,  where  the 
weather  was  not  only  warm,  but  very  hot,  and  immediately  to  feel  a  wind  from  the 
Pyrenean  Mountains  so  very  keen,  so  severely  cold,  as  to  be  intolerable,  and  to 
endanger  benumbing  and  perishing  of  our  fingers  and  toes. 

Poor  Friday  was  really  frightened  when  he  saw  the  mountains  all  covered  with 
snow,  and  felt  cold  weather,  which  he  had  never  seen  or  felt  before  in  his  life. 
To  mend  the  matter,  after  we  came  to  Pampeluna,  it  continued  snowing  with 
so  much  violence,  and  so  long,  that  the  people  said  winter  was  come  before  its 
time ;  and  the  roads,  which  were  difficult  before,  were  now  quite  impassable ;  in 
a  word,  the  snow-  lay  in  some  places  too  thick  for  us  to  travel,  and  being  not  hard 
frozen,  as  is  the  case  in  the  northern  countries,  there  was  no  going  without  being 
in  danger  of  being  buried  alive  every  step.  We  stayed  no  less  than  twenty  days 
at  Pampeluna ;  when  (seeing  the  winter  coming  on,  and  no  likelihood  of  its 
being  better,  for  it  was  the  severest  winter  all  over  Europe  that  had  been  known 
in  many  years)  I  proposed  that  we  should  go  away  to  Fontarabia,  and  there  take 
shipping  for  Bordeaux,  which  was  a  very  little  voyage.  But,  while  I  was  consider- 
ing this,  there  came  in  four  French  gentlemen,  who,  having  been  stopped  on  the 
French  side  of  the  passes,  as  we  were  on  the  Spanish,  had  found  out  a  guide, 
who,  traversing  the  country  near  the  head  of  Languedoc,  had  brought  them  over  the 
mountains  by  such  ways  that  they  were  not  much  incommoded  with  the  snow ;  for 
where  they  met  with  snow  in  any  quantity,  they  said  it  was  frozen  hard  enough 
to  bear  them  and  their  horses.  We  sent  for  this  guide,  who  told  us  he  would 
undertake  to  cany  us  the  same  way,  with  no  hazard  from  the  snow,  provided 
we  were  armed  sufficiently  to  protect  ourselves  from  wild  beasts ;  for,  he  said, 
in  these  great  snows,  it  was  frequent  for  some  wolves  to  show  themselves  at  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  being  made  ravenous  for  want  of  food,  the  ground  being 
covered  with  snow.  We  told  him  we  were  well  enough  prepared  for  such  creat- 
ures as  they  were,  if  he  would  insure  us  from  a  kind  of  two-legged  wolves,  which, 
we  are  told,  we  were  in  most  danger  from,  especially  on  the  French  side  of  the 
mountains.  He  satisfied  us  that  there  was  no  danger  of  that  kind  in  the  way  that 
we  were  to  go ;  so  we  readily  agreed  to  follow  him,  as  did  also  twelve  other 
gentlemen,  with  their  servants,  some  French,  some  Spanish,  who,  as  I  said,  had 
attempted  to  go,  and  were  obliged  to  come  back  again. 

Accordingly,  we  set  out  from  Pampeluna  with  our  guide,  on  the  15th  of 
November;   and,  indeed,  I  was  surprised,  when,  instead  of  going  forward,  he  came 


208  Robinson  Crusoe. 

directly  back  with  us  on  the  same  road  that  we  came  from  Madrid,  about  twenty 
miles ;  when,  having  passed  two  rivers,  and  come  into  the  plain  country,  we  found 
ourselves  in  a  warm  climate  again,  where  the  country  was  pleasant,  and  no  snow 
to  be  seen ;  but,  on  a  sudden,  turning  to  his  left,  he  approached  the  mountains 
another  way ;  and  though  it  is  true  the  hills  and  precipices  looked  dreadful,  yet  he 
made  so  many  tours,  such  meanders,  and  led  us  by  such  winding  ways,  that  we 
insensibly  passed  the  height  of  the  mountains  without  being  much  encumbered 
with  the  snow ;  and  all  on  a  sudden,  he  showed  us  the  pleasant  and  fruitful  prov- 
inces of  Languedoc  and  Gascony,  all  green  and  flourishing,  though,  indeed,  they 
were  at  a  great  distance,  and  we  had  some  rough  way  to  pass  still. 

We  were  a  little  uneasy,  however,  when  we  found  it  snowed  one  whole  day 
and  a  night  so  fast  that  we  could  not  travel ;  but  he  bid  us  be  easy ;  we  should  soon 
be  past  it  all :  we  found,  indeed,  that  we  began  to  descend  every  day,  and  to  come 
more  north  than  before ;   and  so,  depending  upon  our  guide,  we  went  on. 

It  was  about  two  hours  before  night,  when,  our  guide  being  something  before 
us,  and  not  just  in  sight,  out  rushed  three  monstrous  wolves,  and  after  them  a  bear, 
from  a  hollow  way  adjoining  to  a  thick  wood  ;  two  of  the  wolves  flew  upon  the 
guide,  and,  had  he  been  far  before  us,  he  would  have  been  devoured  before  we 
could  have  helped  him ;  one  of  them  fastened  upon  his  horse,  and  the  other 
attacked  the  man  with  such  violence  that  he  had  not  time  or  presence  of  mind 
enough  to  draw  his  pistol,  but  hallooed  and  cried  out  to  us  most  lustily.  My  man 
Friday  being  next  me,  I  bade  him  ride  up,  and  see  what  was  the  matter.  As 
soon  as  Friday  came  in  sight  of  the  man,  he  hallooed  out  as  loud  as  the  other, 
"  Oh,  master !  Oh,  master !  "  but  like  a  bold  fellow,  rode  directly  up  to  the  man, 
and  with  his  pistol  shot  the  wolf  that  attacked  him  in  the  head. 

It  was  happy  for  the  poor  man  that  it  was  my  man  Friday ;  for,  having  been 
used  to  such  creatures  in  his  country,  he  had  no  fear  upon  him,  but  went  close 
up  to  him  and  shot  him;  whereas,  any  other  of  us  would  have  fired  at  a  farther 
distance,  and  have  perhaps  either  missed  the  wolf,  or  endangered  shooting  the 
man. 

But  it  was  enough  to  have  terrified  a  bolder  man  than  I ;  and,  indeed,  it 
alarmed  all  our  company,  when,  Avith  the  noise  of  Friday's  pistol,  we  heard  on 
both  sides  the  most  dismal  howling  of  wolves ;  and  the  noise,  redoubled  by  the 
echo  of  the  mountains,  that  it  was  to  us  as  if  there  had  been  a  prodigious  number 
of  them ;  and  perhaps  there  was  not  such  a  few  as  that  we  had  no  cause  of  appre- 
hension ;  however,  as  Friday  had  killed  this  wolf,  the  other  that  had  fastened  upon 
the  horse  left  him  immediately,  and  fled,  without  doing  him  any  damage,  having 
happily  fastened  upon  his  head,  where  the  bosses  of  the  bridle  had  stuck  in. his 
teeth.  But  the  man  was  most  hurt ;  for  the  raging  creature  had  bit  him  twice, 
once  in  the  arm,  and  the  other  time  a  little  above  his  knee ;  he  was  just,  as  it 
were,  tumbling  down  by  the  disorder  of  his  horse,  when  Friday  came  up  and  shot 
the  wolf. 

It  is  easy  to  suppose  that  at  the  noise  of  Friday's  pistol  we  all  mended  our 
pace,  and  rode  up  as  fast  as  the  way,  which  was  very  difficult,  would  give  us  leave, 


FRIDA  V  AND    THE   BEAR. 


to  see  what  was  the  matter.  As  soon  as  we  came  clear  of  the  trees,  which  blinded 
us  before,  we  saw  plainly  what  had  been  the  case,  and  how  Friday  had  disen- 
gaged the  poor  guide,  though  we  did  not  presently  discern  what  kind  of  a  creature 
it  was  he  had  killed. 

But  never  was  a  fight  managed  so  hardily,  and  in  such  a  surprising  manner,  as 


that  which  followed  between  Fri- 
day and  the  bear,  which  gave  us 
all,  though  at  first  we  were  sur- 
prised and  afraid  for  him,  the 
greatest  diversion  imaginable.  As 
the  bear  is  a  heavy,  clumsy  creat- 
ure, and  does  not  gallop  as  the 
wolf  does,  which  is  swift  and  light, 
so  he  has  two  particular  qualities, 
which  generally  are  the  rule  of 
his  actions ;  first,  as  to  men,  who 
are  not  his  proper  prey  (he  does 
not  usually  attempt  them,  except 
they  first  attack  him,  unless  he 
be  excessively  hungry,  which  it  is 
probable  might  now  be  the  case, 
the  ground  being  covered  with  snow),  if  you  do  not  meddle  with  him,  he  will  not 
meddle  with  you ;  but  then  you  must  take  care  to  be  very  civil  to  him,  and  give 
him  the  road,  for  he  is  a  very  nice  gentleman  ;  he  will  not  go  a  step  out  of  his 
way  for  a  prince ;  nay,  if  you  are  really  afraid,  your  best  way  is  to  look  another 
way  and  keep  going  on ;  for  sometimes  if  you  stop,  and  stand  still,  and  look 
steadfastly  at  him,  he  takes  it  for  an  affront ;  but  if  you  throw  or  toss  anything  at 
him,  and  it  hits  him,  though  it  were  but  a  bit  of  stick  as  big  as  your  finger, 
he  takes  it  for  an  affront,  and  sets  all  other  business  aside  to  pursue  his 
revenge,  and  will  have  satisfaction  in  point  of  honor — that  is  his  first  quality : 
the    next    is,    that   if    he    be    once    affronted,    he    will   never   leave    you,    night 


"what,    you   no  come  FARTHER?"   {p.  211). 


210  Robinson  Crusoe. 

or  day,  till  he  has  had  his  revenge,  but  follow  at  a  good  round  rate  till  he  over- 
takes you. 

My  man  Friday  had  delivered  our  guide,  and  when  we  came  up  to  him,  he  was 
helping  him  off  from  his  horse,  for  the  man  was  both  hurt  and  frightened,  and 
indeed  the  last  more  than  the  first,  when  on  a  sudden  we  espied  the  bear  come 
out  of  the  wood,  and  a  vast,  monstrous  one  it  was,  the  biggest  by  far  that  ever  I 
saw.  We  were  all  a  little  surprised  when  we  saw  him ;  but  when  Friday  saw  him, 
it  was  easy  to  see  joy  and  courage  in  the  fellow's  countenance :  "  Oh,  oh,  oh  !  " 
says  Friday,  three  times,  pointing  to  him ;  "  Oh,  master !  you  give  me  te  leave,  me 
shakee  te  hand  with  him;   me  makee  you  good  laugh." 

I  was  surprised  to  see  the  fellow  so  pleased :  "  You  fool,"  said  I,  "  he  will 
eat  you  up."  "Eatee  me  up!  eatee  me  up!"  says  Friday,  twice  over  again;  "me 
eatee  him  up  ;  me  makee  you  good  laugh ;  you  all  stay  here,  me  show  you  good 
laugh."  So  down  he  sits,  and  gets  his  boots  off  in  a  moment,  and  puts  on  a 
pair  of  pumps  (as  we  call  the  flat  shoes  they  wear,  and  which  he  had  in  his 
pocket),  gives  my  other  servant  his  horse,  and  with  his  gun  away  he  flew,  swift 
like  the  wind. 

The  bear  was  walking  softly  on,  and  offered  to  meddle  with  nobody,  till  Friday 
coming  pretty  near,  calls  to  him,  as  if  the  bear  could  understand  him,  "  Hark  ye, 
hark  ye,"  says  Friday,  "me  speakee  with  you."  We  followed  at  a  distance,  for 
now  being  come  down  to  the  Gascony  side  of  the  mountains,  we  were  entered  a 
vast,  great  forest,  where  the  country  was  plain  and  pretty  open,  though  it  had  many 
trees  in  it  scattered  here  and  there.  Friday,  who  had,  as  we  say,  the  heels  of  the 
bear,  came  up  with  him  quickly,  and  took  up  a  great  stone,  and  threw  it  at  him, 
and  hit  him  just  on  the  head,  but  did  him  no  more  harm  than  if  he  had  thrown 
it  against  a  wall ;  but  it  answered  Friday's  end,  for  the  rogue  was  so  void  of  fear 
that  he  did  it  purely  to  make  the  bear  follow  him,  and  show  us  some  laugh,  as  he 
called  it.  As  soon  as  the  bear  felt  the  stone,  and  saw  him,  he  turns  about,  and 
comes  after  him,  taking  very  long  strides,  and  shuffling  on  at  a  strange  rate,  so  as 
would  have  put  a  horse  to  a  middling  gallop ;  away  runs  Friday,  and  takes  his 
course  as  if  he  ran  towards  us  for  help  ;  so  we  all  resolved  to  fire  at  once  upon 
the  bear,  and  deliver  my  man  ;  though  I  was  angry  at  him  heartily  for  bringing 
the  bear  back  upon  us,  when  he  was  going  about  his  own  business  another  way ; 
and  especially  I  was  angry  that  he  had  turned  the  bear  upon  us,  and  then  run 
away;  and  I  called  out,  "You  dog !"  said  I,  "is  this  your  making  us  laugh? 
Come  away,  and  take  your  horse,  that  we  may  shoot  the  creature."  He  heard 
me,  and  cried  out,  "  No  shoot,  no  shoot ;  stand  still,  you  get  much  laugh ;  "  and 
as  the  nimble  creature  ran  two  feet  for  the  beast's  one,  he  turned  on  a  sudden 
on  one  side  of  us,  and  seeing  a  great  oak-tree  fit  for  his  purpose,  he  beckoned  us 
to  follow ;  and  doubling  his  pace,  he  got  nimbly  up  the  tree,  laying  his  gun  down 
upon  the  ground,  at  about  five  or  six  yards  from  the  bottom  of  the  tree.  The 
bear  soon  came  to  the  tree,  and  we  followed  at  a  distance ;  the  first  thing  he  did, 
he  stopped  at  the  gun,  smelled  at  it,  but  let  it  lie,  and  up  he  scrambles  into  the 
tree,  climbing  like  a  cat,  though  so  monstrous  heavy.     I  was  amazed  at  the  folly, 


Frida  y  and  the  Bear.  2 1 1 

as  I  thought  it,  of  my  man,  and  could  not  for  my  life  see  anything  to  laugh  at 
yet,  till  seeing  the  bear  get  up  the  tree,  we  all  rode  near  to  him. 

When  we  came  to  the  tree,  there  was  Friday  got  out  to  the  small  end  of  a 
large  limb  of  the  tree,  and  the  bear  got  about  half  way  to  him.  As  soon  as  the 
bear  got  out  to  that  part  where  the  limb  of  the  tree  was  weaker — "  Ha  !  "  says  he 
to  us,  "now  you  see  me  teachee  the  bear  dance;"  so  he  began  jumping  and 
shaking  the  bough,  at  which  the  bear  began  to  totter,  but  stood  still,  and  began 
tc  look  behind  him,  to  see  how  he  should  get  back ;  then,  indeed,  we  did  laugh 
heartily.  But  Friday  had  not  done  with  him  by  a  great  deal ;  when  seeing  him 
stand  still,  he  called  out  to  him  again,  as  if  he  had  supposed  the  bear  could  speak 
English,  "What,  you  no  come  farther?  pray  you  come  farther;  "  so  he  left  jump- 
ing and  shaking  the  bough ;  and  the  bear,  just  as  if  he  had  understood  what  he 
said,  did  come  a  little  farther ;  then  he  began  jumping  again,  and  the  bear  stopped 
again.  We  thought  now  was  a  good  time  to  knock  him  on  the  head,  and  called 
to  Friday  to  stand  still,  and  we  would  shoot  the  bear ;  but  he  cried  out  earnestly, 
"  Oh,  pray !  oh,  pray  !  no  shoot,  me  shoot  by  and  then ;  "  he  would  have  said 
by  and  by.  However,  to  shorten  the  story,  Friday  danced  so  much,  and  the  bear 
stood  so  ticklish,  that  we  had  laughing  enough  indeed,  but  still  could  not  imagine 
what  the  fellow  would  do;  for  first  we  thought  he  depended  upon  shaking  the 
bear  off ;  and  we  found  the  bear  was  too  cunning  for  that  too ;  for  he  would  not 
gc  out  far  enough  to  be  thrown  down,  but  clung  fast  with  his  great  broad  claws 
and  feet,  so  that  we  could  not  imagine  what  would  be  the  end  of  it,  and  what 
the  jest  would  be  at  last.  But  Friday  put  us  out  of  doubt  quickly :  for  seeing  the 
bear  cling  fast  to  the  bough,  and  that  he  would  not  be  persuaded  to  come  any 
farther,  "  Well,  well,"  says  Friday,  "  you  no  come  farther,  me  go ;  you  no  come  to 
me,  me  come  to  you ;  "  and  upon  this  he  went  out  to  the  smaller  end  of  the 
bough  where  it  would  bend  with  his  weight,  and  gently  let  himself  down  by  it, 
sliding  down  the  bough  till  he  came  near  enough  to  jump  down  on  his  feet,  and 
away  he  ran  to  his  gun,  took  it  up,  and  stood  still.  "  Well,"  said  I  to  him, 
"  Friday,  what  will  you  do  now?  Why  don't  you  shoot  him?  "  "  No  shoot,"  says 
Friday,  "  no  yet ;  me  shoot  now,  me  no  kill ;  me  stay,  give  you  one  more  laugh :  " 
and,  indeed,  so  he  did,  as  you  will  see  presently ;  for  when  the  bear  saw  his 
enemy  gone,  he  came  back  from  the  bough  where  he  stood,  but  did  it  very 
cautiously,  looking  behind  him  every  step,  and  coming  backward  till  he  got  into 
the  body  of  the  tree ;  then,  with  the  same  hinder  end  foremost,  he  came  down 
the  tree,  grasping  it  with  his  claws,  and  moving  one  foot  at  a  time,  very  leisurely. 
At  this  juncture,  and  just  before  he  could  set  his  hind  feet  upon  the  ground 
Friday  stepped  up  close  to  him,  clapped  the  muzzle  of  his  piece  into  his  ear,  and 
shot  him  dead  as  a  stone.  Then  the  rogue  turned  about  to  see  if  we  did  not 
laugh ;  and  when  he  saw  we  were  pleased,  by  our  looks,  he  began  to  laugh  very 
loud.  "So  we  kill  bear  in  my  country,"  says  Friday.  "So  you  kill  them?"  says 
I ;  "  why,  you  have  no  guns."  "  No,"  says  he,  "  no  gun,  but  shoot  great  much 
long  arrow."  This  was  a  good  diversion  to  us,  but  we  were  still  in  a  wild  place, 
and  our  guide  very  much  hurt,  and  what  to  do  we  hardly  knew ;   the  howling  of 


212 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


"they  came  on  us  with  a  growling  kind  of  a  noise"  {p.  214). 


wolves  ran  much  in  my  head ;  and,  indeed,  except  the  noise  I  once  heard  on 
the  shore  of  Africa,  of  which  I  have  said  something  already,  I  never  heard  any- 
thing that  filled  me  with  so  much  horror. 

These  things,  and  the  approach  of  night,  called  us  off;  or  else,  as  Friday  would 
have  had  us,  we  should  certainly  have  taken  the  skin  of  this  monstrous  creature 


Attacked  by  Wolves.  213 

off,  which  was  worth  saving ;   but  we  had  near  three  leagues  to  go,  and  our  guide 
hastened  us ;   so  we  left  him,  and  went  forward  on  our  journey. 

The  ground  was  still  covered  with  snow,  though  not  so  deep  and  dangerous 
as  on  the  mountains ;  and  the  ravenous  creatures,  as  we  heard  afterwards,  were 
come  down  into  the  forest  and  plain  country,  pressed  by  hunger,  to  seek  for 
food,  and  had  done  a  great  deal  of  mischief  in  the  villages,  where  they  surprised 
the  country  people,  killing  a  great  many  of  their  sheep  and'  horses,  and  some 
people  too.  We  had  one  dangerous  place  to  pass,  and  our  guide  told  us,  if  there 
were  more  wolves  in  the  country  we  should  find  them  there ;  and  this  was  a  small 
plain  surrounded  with  woods  on  every  side,  and  a  long  narrow  defile,  or  lane, 
which  we  were  to  pass  to  get  through  the  wood,  and  then  we  should  come  to  the . 
village  where  we  were  to  lodge.  It  was  within  half  an  hour  of  sunset  when  we 
entered  the  wood,  and  a  little  after  sunset  when  we  came  into  the  plain :  we  met 
with  nothing  in  the  first  wood,  except  that  in  a  little  plain  within  the  wood  which 
was  not  above  two  furlongs  over,  we  saw  five  great  wolves  cross  the  road,  full 
speed,  one  after  another,  as  if  they  had  been  in  chase  of  some  prey,  and  had  it 
in  view ;  they  took  no  notice  of  us,  and  were  gone  out  of  sight  in  a  few  moments. 
Upon  this,  our  guide,  who,  by  the  way,  was  but  a  faint-hearted  fellow,  bid  us  keep 
in  a  ready  posture,  for  he  believed  there  were  more  wolves  a-coming.  We  kept 
our  arms  ready  and  our  eyes  about  us ;  but  we  saw  no  more  wolves  till  we  came 
through  that  wood,  which  was  near  half  a  league,  and  entered  the  plain.  As  soon 
as  we  came  into  the  plain,  we  had  occasion  enough  to  look  about  us :  the  first 
object  we  met  with  was  a  dead  horse ;  that  is  to  say,  a  poor  horse  which  the 
wolves  had  killed,  and  at  least  a  dozen  of  them  at  work,  we  could  not  say  eating 
him,  but  picking  his  bones  rather ;  for  they  had  eaten  up  all  the  flesh  before.  We 
did  not  think  fit  to  disturb  them  at  their  feast,  neither  did  they  take  much  notice 
of  us.  Friday  would  have  let  fly  at  them,  but  I  would  not  suffer  him  by  any 
means ;  for  I  found  we  were  like  to  have  more  business  upon  our  hands  than  we 
were  aware  of.  We  had  not  gone  half  over  the  plain,  when  we  began  to  hear  the 
wolves  howl  in  the  wood  on  our  left  in  a  frightful  manner,  and  presently  after  we 
saw  about  a  hundred  coming  on  directly  towards  us,  all  in  a  body,  and  most  of 
them  in  a  line,  as  regularly  as  an  army  drawn  up  by  experienced  officers.  I 
scarce  knew  in  what  manner  to  receive  them,  but  found  to  draw  ourselves  in  a 
close  line  was  the  only  way ;  so  we  formed  in  a  moment ;  but  that  we  might  not 
have  too  much  interval,  I  ordered  that  only  every  other  man  should  fire,  and  that 
the  others,  who  had  not  fired,  should  stand  ready  to  give  them  a  second  volley 
immediately,  if  they  continued  to  advance  upon  us ;  and  then  that  those  who  had 
fired  at  first,  should  not  pretend  to  load  their  fusees  again,  but  stand  ready,  every 
one  with  a  pistol,  for  we  were  all  armed  with  a  fusee  and  a  pair  of  pistols  each 
man ;  so  we  were,  by  this  method,  able  to  fire  six  volleys,  half  of  us  at  a  time : 
however,  at  present  we  had  no  necessity ;  for  upon  firing  the  first  volley,  the 
enemy  made  a  full  stop,  being  terrified  as  well  with  the  noise  as  with  the  fire. 
Four  of  them  being  shot  in  the  head,  dropped ;  several  others  were  wounded,  and 
went  bleeding  off,  as  we  could  see  by  the  snow.     I  found  they  stopped,  but  did 


214  Robinson  Crusoe. 

not  immediately  retreat ;  whereupon,  remembering  that  I  had  been  told  that  the 
fiercest  creatures  were  terrified  at  the  voice  of  a  man,  I  caused  all  the  company 
to  halloo  as  loud  as  we  could ;  and  I  found  the  notion  not  altogether  mistaken ; 
for  upon  our  shout  they  began  to  retire  and  turn  about.  I  then  ordered  a  second 
volley  to  be  fired  in  their  rear,  which  put  them  to  the  gallop,  and  away  they  went 
to  the  woods.  This  gave  us  leisure  to  charge  our  pieces  again  ;  and  that  we  might 
lose  no  time,  we  kept  going ;  but  we  had  but  little  more  than  loaded  our  fusees, 
and  put  ourselves  in  readiness,  when  we  heard  a  terrible  noise  in  the  same  wood 
on  our  left,  only  that  it  was  farther  onward,  the  same  way  we  were  to  go. 

The  night  was  coming  on,  and  the  light  began  to  be  dusky,  which  made  it  the 
worse  on  our  side  ;  but  the  noise  increasing,  we  could  easily  perceive  that  it  was 
the  howling  and  yelling  of  those  hellish  creatures ;  and,  on  a  sudden,  we  perceived 
two  or  three  troops  of  wolves,  one  on  our  left,  one  behind  us,  and  one  in  our 
front,  so  that  we  seemed  to  be  surrounded  with  them :  however,  as  they  did  not 
fall  upon  us,  we  kept  our  way  forward,  as  fast  as  we  could  make  our  horses  go, 
which,  the  way  being  very  rough,  was  only  a  good  hard  trot.  In  this  manner,  we 
came  in  view  of  the  entrance  of  a  wood,  through  which  we  were  to  pass,  at  the 
farther  side  of  the  plain ;  but  we  were  greatly  surprised  when,  coming  nearer  the 
lane  or  pass,  we  saw  a  confused  number  of  wolves  standing  just  at  the  entrance. 
On  a  sudden,  at  another  opening  of  the  wood,  we  heard  the  noise  of  a  gun,  and 
looking  that  way,  out  rushed  a  horse,  with  a  saddle  and  a  bridle  on  him.  flying 
like  the  wind,  and  sixteen  or  seventeen  wolves  after  him  full  speed.  Indeed,  the 
horse  had  the  advantage  of  them  ;  but  as  we  supposed  that  he  could  not  hold  it 
at  that  rate,  we  doubted  not  but  they  would  get  up  with  him  at  last :  and  no  question 
but  they  did. 

But  here  we  had  a  most  horrible  sight ;  for,  riding  up  to  the  entrance  where 
the  horse  came  out,  we  found  the  carcases  of  another  horse  and  of  two  men, 
devoured  by  the  ravenous  creatures  ;  and  one  of  the  men  was  no  doubt  the  same 
whom  we  heard  fire  the  gun,  for  there  lay  a  gun  just  by  him  fired  off ;  but  as  to 
the  man,  his  head  and  the  upper  part  of  his  body  were  eaten  up.  This  filled  us 
with  hoiTor,  and  we  knew  not  what  course  to  take  ;  but  the  creatures  resolved  us 
soon,  for  they  gathered  about  us  presently,  in  hopes  of  prey ;  and  I  verily  believe 
there  were  three  hundred  of  them.  It  happened,  very  much  to  our  advantage,  that 
at  the  entrance  into  the  wood,  but  a  little  way  from  it,  there  lay  some  large  timber- 
trees,  which  had  been  cut  down  the  summer  before,  and  I  suppose  lay  there  for 
carriage.  I  drew  my  little  troop  in  among  those  trees,  and  placing  ourselves  in  a 
line  behind  one  long  tree,  I  advised  them  all  to  alight,  and  keeping  that  tree 
before  us  for  a  breastwork,  to  stand  in  a  triangle,  or  three  fronts,  inclosing  our 
horses  in  the  center.  We  did  so,  and  it  was  well  we  did ;  for  never  was  a  more 
furious  charge  than  the  creatures  made  upon  us  in  this  place.  They  came  on  us 
with  a  growling  kind  of  a  noise,  and  mounted  the  piece  of  timber,  which,  as  I 
said,  was  our  breastwork,  as  if  they  were  only  rushing  upon  their  prey ;  and  this 
fury  of  theirs,  it  seems,  was  principally  occasioned  by  their  seeing  our  horses  behind 
us,  which  was  the  prey  they  aimed  at.     I  ordered  our  men  to  fire  as  before,  every 


Attacked  by  Wolves.  215 

other  man ,  and  they  took  their  aim  so  sure  that  indeed  they  killed  several  of  the 
wolves  at  the  first  volley ;  but  there  was  a  necessity  to  keep  a  continual  firing,  for 
they  came  on  like  devils,  those  behind  pushing  on  those  before. 

When  we  had  fired  a  second  volley  of  our  fusils,  we  thought  they  stopped  a 
little,  and  I  hoped  they  would  have  gone  off,  but  it  was  but  a  moment,  for  others 
came  forward  again ;  so  we  fired  two  volleys  of  our  pistols ;  and  I  believe  in  these 
four  firings  we  had  killed  seventeen  or  eighteen  of  them,  and  lamed  twice  as  many- 
yet  they  came  on  again.  I  was  loth  to  spend  our  last  shot  too  hastily ;  so  I 
called  my  servant — not  my  man  Friday,  for  he  was  better  employed,  for,  with  the 
greatest  dexterity  imaginable,  he  had  charged  my  fusee  and  his  own  while  we 
were  engaged — but,  as  I  said,  I  called  my  other  man,  and  giving  him  a  horn  of 
powder,  I  bade  him  lay  a  train  all  along  the  piece  of  timber,  and  let  it  be  a  large 
train.  He  did  so,  and  had  but  just  time  to  get  away,  when  the  wolves  came  up 
to  it,  and  some  got  upon  it,  when  I,  snapping  an  uncharged  pistol  close  to  the 
powder,  set  it  on  fire ;  those  that  were  upon  the  timber  were  scorched  with  it,  and 
six  or  seven  of  them  fell,  or  rather  jumped  in  among  us  with  the  force  and  fright 
of  the  fire :  we  dispatched  these  in  an  instant,  and  the  rest  were  so  frightened  with 
the  light,  which  the  night — for  it  was  now  very  near  dark — made  more  terrible, 
that  they  drew  back  a  little  ;  upon  which  I  ordered  our  last  pistols  to  be  fired  off 
in  one  volley,  and  after  that  we  gave  a  shout ;  upon  this  the  wolves  turned  tail, 
and  we  sallied  immediately  upon  near  twenty  lame  ones  that  we  found  struggling 
on  the  ground,  and  fell  to  cutting  them  with  our  swords,  which  answered  our  ex- 
pectation, for  the  crying  and  howling  they  made  was  better  understood  by  their 
fellows ;   so  that  they  all  fled  and  left  us. 

We  had,  first  and  last,  killed  about  threescore  of  them,  and  had  it  been 
daylight  we  had  killed  many  more.  The  field  of  battle  being  thus  cleared,  we 
made  forward  again,  for  we  had  still  near  a  league  to  go.  We  heard  the  ravenous 
creatures  howl  and  yell  in  the  woods  as  we  went  several  times,  and  sometimes 
we  fancied  we  saw  some  of  them ;  but  the  snow  dazzling  our  eyes,  we  were  not 
certain.  So  in  about  an  hour  more  we  came  to  the  town  where  we  were  to 
lodge,  which  we  found  in  a  terrible  fright,  and  all  in  arms  ;  for,  it  seems,  that 
the  night  before,  the  wolves  and  some  bears  had  broke  into  the  village,  and  put 
them  in  such  terror,  that  they  were  obliged  to  keep  guard  night  and  day,  but 
especially  in  the  night,  to  preserve  their  cattle,  and  indeed  their  people. 

The  next  morning  our  guide  was  so  ill,  and  his  limbs  swelled  so  much  with 
the  rankling  of  his  two  wounds,  that  he  could  go  no  farther ;  so  we  were  obliged 
to  take  a  new  guide  here,  and  go  to  Toulouse,  where  Ave  found  a  warm  climate, 
a  fruitful,  pleasant  country,  and  no  snow,  no  wolves,  nor  anything  like  them ; 
but  when  we  told  our  story  at  Toulouse,  they  told  us  it  was  nothing  but  what 
was  ordinary  in  the  great  forest  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  especially  when 
the  snow  lay  on  the  ground ;  but  they  inquired  much  what  kind  of  a  guide  we 
had  got,  who  would  venture  to  bring  us  that  way  in  such  a  severe  season,  and 
told  us  it  was  surprising  we  were  not  all  devoured.  When  we  told  them  how 
we  placed  ourselves  and    the  horses  in    the    middle,  they  blamed  us  exceedingly, 


216  Robinson  Crusoe. 

and  told  us  it  was  fifty  to  one  but  we  had  been  all  destroyed,  for  it  was  the 
sight  of  the  horses  which  made  the  wolves  so  furious,  seeing  their  prey,  and  that 
at  other  times  they  are  really  afraid  of  a  gun ;  but  being  excessively  hungry,  and 
raging  on  that  account,  the  eagerness  to  come  at  the  horses  had  made  them 
senseless  of  danger ;  and  that  if  we  had  not  by  the  continued  fire,  and  at  last 
by  the  stratagem  of  the  train  of  powder,  mastered  them,  it  had  been  great  odds 
but  that  we  had  been  torn  to  pieces ;  whereas,  had  we  been  content  to  have 
sat  still  on  horseback,  and  fired  as  horsemen,  they  would  not  have  taken  the 
horses  so  much  for  their  own,  when  men  were  on  their  backs,  as  otherwise ;  and, 
withal,  they  told  us  that  at  last,  if  we  had  stood  all  together,  and  left  our  horses, 
they  would  have  been  so  eager  to  have  devoured  them,  that  we  might  have  come 
off  safe,  especially  having  our  fire-arms  in  our  hands,  and  being  so  many  in  number. 
For  my  part,  I  was  never  so  sensible  of  danger  in  my  life ;  for,  seeing  above 
three  hundred  devils  come  roaring  and  open-mouthed  to  devour  us,  and  having 
nothing  to  shelter  us  or  retreat  to,  I  gave  myself  over  for  lost ;  and,  as  it  was, 
I  believe  I  shall  never  care  to  cross  those  mountains  again ;  I  think  I  would 
much  rather  go  a  thousand  leagues  by  sea,  though  I  was  sure  to  meet  with  a 
storm  once  a  week. 

I  have  nothing  uncommon  to  take  notice  of  in  my  passage  through  France — 
nothing  but  what  other  travelers  have  given  an  account  of  with  much  more 
advantage  than  I  can.  I  traveled  from  Toulouse  to  Paris,  and  without  any 
considerable  stay  came  to  Calais,  and  landed  safe  at  Dover  the  14th  of  January, 
after  having  a  severe  cold  season  to  travel  in. 

I  was  now  come  to  the  center  of  my  travels,  and  had  in  a  little  time  all  my 
new  discovered  estate  safe  about  me,  the  bills  of  exchange  which  I  brought  with 
me  having  been  very  currently  paid. 

My  principal  guide  and  privy  counselor  was  my  good  ancient  widow,  who,  in 
gratitude  for  the  money  I  had  sent  her,  thought  no  pains  too  much  nor  care  too 
great  to  employ  for  me ;  and  I  trusted  her  so  entirely  with  everything,  that  I 
was  perfectly  easy  as  to  the  security  of  my  effects ;  and,  indeed,  I  was  very  happy 
from  the  beginning,  and  now  to  the  end,  in  the  unspotted  integrity  of  this  good 
gentlewoman. 

And  now,  having  resolved  to  dispose  of  my  plantation  in  the  Brazils,  I  wrote 
to  my  old  friend  at  Lisbon,  who  having  offered  it  to  the  two  merchants,  the 
survivors  of  my  trustees,  who  lived  in  the  Brazils,  they  accepted  the  offer,  and 
remitted  thirty-three  thousand  pieces  of  eight  to  a  correspondent  of  theirs  at 
Lisbon  to  pay  for  it. 

In  return,  I  signed  the  instrument  of  sale  in  the  form  which  they  sent  from 
Lisbon,  and  sent  it  to  my  old  man,  who  sent  me  the  bills  of  exchange  for 
thirty-two  thousand  eight  hundred  pieces  of  eight  for  the  estate,  reserving  the 
payment  of  one  hundred  moidores  a  year  to  him  (the  old  man)  during  his  life, 
and  fifty  moidores  afterwards  to  his  son  for  his  life,  which  I  had  promised  them, 
and  which  the  plantation  was  to  make  good  as  a  rent-charge.  And  thus  I  have 
given  the    first  part    of    a  life  of  fortune    and  adventure — a   life   of   Providence's 


Seeking  Fresh  Adventures.  217 

checker-work,  and  of  a  variety  which  the  world  will  seldom  be  able  to  show  the 
like  of — beginning  foolishly,  but  closing  much  more  happily  than  any  part  of  it 
ever  gave  me  leave  so  much  as  to  hope  for. 

Any  one  would  think  that  in  this  state  of  complicated  good  fortune  I  was  past 
running  any  more  hazards;  and  so,  indeed,  I  had  been,  if  other  circumstances 
had  concurred ;  but  I  was  inured  to  a  wandering  life,  had  no  family,  nor  many 
relations ;  nor  however  rich,  had  I  contracted  much  acquaintance ;  and  though  I 
had  sold  my  estate  in  the  Brazils,  yet  I  could  not  keep  that  country  out  of  my 
head,  and  had  a  great  mind  to  be  upon  the  wing  again ;  especially  I  could  not 
resist  the  strong  inclination  I  had  to  see  my  island,  and  to  know  if  the  poor 
Spaniards  were  in  being  there.  My  true  friend,  the  widow,  earnestly  dissuaded 
me  from  it,  and  so  far  prevailed  with  me,  that  for  almost  seven  years  she  pre- 
vented my  running  abroad,  during  which  time  I  took  my  two  nephews,  the 
children  of  one  of  my  brothers,  into  my  care  ;  the  eldest,  having  something  of 
his  own,  I  bred  up  as  a  gentleman,  and  gave  him  a  settlement  of  some  addition 
to  his  estate  after  my  decease.  The  other  I  placed  with  the  captain  of  a  ship ; 
and  after  five  years,  finding  him  a  sensible,  bold,  enterprising  young  fellow,  I  put 
him  into  a  good  ship,  and  sent  him  to  sea ;  and  this  young  fellow  afterwards  drew 
me  in,  as  old  as  I  was,  to  farther  adventures  myself. 

In  the  meantime,  I  in  part  settled  myself  here ;  for,  first  of  all,  I  married, 
and  that  not  either  to  my  disadvantage  or  dissatisfaction,  arid  had  three  children, 
two  sons  and  one  daughter ;  but  my  wife  dying,  and  my  nephew  ■  coming  home 
with  good  success  from  a  voyage  to  Spain,  my  inclination  to  go  abroad,  and  his 
importunity,  prevailed,  and  engaged  me  to  go  in  his  ship  as  a  private  trader  to 
the  East  Indies;  this  was  in  the  year  1694. 

In  this  voyage  I  visited  my  new  colony  in  the  island ;  saw  my  successors  the 
Spaniards ;  had  the  whole  story  of  their  lives,  and  of  the  villains  I  left  there ; 
how  at  first  they  insulted  the  poor  Spaniards ;  how  they  afterwards  agreed,  dis- 
agreed, united,  separated,  and  how  at  last  the  Spaniards  were  obliged  to  use 
violence  with  them ;  how  they  were  subjected  to  the  Spaniards ;  how  honestly 
the  Spaniards  used  them; — a  history,  if  it  were  entered  into,  as  full  of  variety 
and  wonderful  accidents  as  my  own  part — particularly,  also,  as  to  their  battles  with 
the  Caribbeans,  who  landed  several  times  upon  the  island,  and  as  to  the  improve- 
ment they  made  upon  the  island  itself — and  how  five  of  them  made  an  attempt 
upon  the  mainland,  and  brought  away  eleven  men  and  five  women  prisoners,  by 
which,  at  my  coming,  I  found  about  twenty  young  children  on  the  island. 

Here  I  stayed  about  twenty  days — left  them  supplies  of  all  necessary  things, 
and  particularly  of  arms,  powder,  shot,  clothes,  tools,  and  two  workmen,  which  I 
brought  from  England  with  me — viz.,  a  carpenter  and  a  smith. 

Besides  this,  I  shared  the  lands  into  parts  with  them,  reserved  to  myself  the 
property  of  the  whole,  but  gave  them  such  parts  respectively  as  they  agreed  on ; 
and  having  settled  all  things  with  them,  and  engaged  them  not  to  leave  the  place, 
I  left  them  there. 

From  thence  I  touched  at  the    Brazils,  from  whence  I  sent  a  bark,  which  I 


218 


Rob/xsoat  Crusoe. 


bought  there,  with  more  people  to  the  island ;  and  in  it,  besides  other  supplies,  I 
sent  seven  women,  being  such  as  I  found  proper  for  service,  or  for  wives  to  such 
as  would  take  them.  As  to  the  Englishmen,  I  promised  them  to  send  them  some 
women  from  England,  with  a  good  cargo  of  necessaries,  if  they  would  apply  them- 
selves to  planting — which  I  afterwards  could  not  perform.  The  fellows  proved 
very  honest  and  diligent  after  they  were  mastered,  and  had  their  properties  set 
apart  for  them.  I  sent  them,  also,  from  the  Brazils,  five  cows,  three  of  them  being 
big  with  calf,  some  sheep,  and  some  hogs,  which  when  I  came  again  were  con- 
siderably increased. 

But  all  these  things,  with  an  account  how  three  hundred  Caribbees  came  and 
invaded  them,  and  ruined  their  plantations,  and  how  they  fought  with  that  whole 
number  twice  and  were  at  first  defeated,  and  one  of  them  killed ;  but,  at  last,  a 
storm  destroying  their  enemies'  canoes,  they  famished  or  destroyed  almost  all  the 
rest,  and  renewed  and  recovered  the  possession  of  their  plantation,  and  still  lived 
upon  the  island — all  these  things,  with  some  very  surprising  incidents  in  some  new 
adventures  of  my  own,  for  ten  years  more,  I  shall  give  a  further  account  of  in  the 
Second  Part  of  my  history. 


THE    MOUTH   OF   THE    AMAZON. 


y. 


tortWh 


I    FARMED    UPON    MY    OWN    LAND"    (p.   222). 


PART    II. 


THAT  homely  proverb,  used  on  so  many  occasions  in  England,  viz.,  "  That  what 
is  bred  in  the  bone  will  not  go  out  of  the  flesh,"  was  never  more  verified  than 
in  the  story  of  my  life.  Any  one  would  think  that  after  thirty-five  years'  affliction, 
and  a  variety  of  unhappy  circumstances,  which  few  men,  if  any,  ever  went  through 
before,  and  after  near  seven  years  of  peace  and  enjoyment  in  the  fullness  of  all 
things,  grown  old,  and  when,  if  ever,  it  might  be  allowed  me  to  have  had 
experience  of  every  state  of  middle  life,  and  to  know  which  was  most  adapted  to 
make  a  man  completely  happy ;  I  say,  after  all  this,  any  one  would  have  thought 
that  the  native  propensity  to  rambling,  which  I  gave  an  account  of  in  my  first 
setting  out  in  the  world  to  have  been  so  predominant  in  my  thoughts,  should  be 
worn  out,  the  volatile  part  be  fully  evacuated,  or  at  least  condensed,  and  I  might, 
at  sixty-one  years  of  age,  have  been  a  little  inclined  to  stay  at  home,  and  have 
done  venturing  life  and  fortune  any  more. 

Nay,  farther,  the  common  motive  of  foreign  adventures  was  taken  away  in  me, 
for  I  had  no  fortune  to  make ;  I  had  nothing  to  seek :  if  I  had  gained  ten 
thousand  pounds,  I  had  been  no  richer ;  for  I  had  already  sufficient  for  me,  and 
for  those  I  had  to  leave  it  to ;  and  what  I  had  was  visibly  increasing ;  for  having 
no  great  family,  I  could  not  spend  the  income  of  what  I  had,  unless  I  would  set 
up  for  an  expensive  way  of  living,  such  as  a  great  family,  servants,  equipage, 
gayety,  and  the  like,  which  were  things  I  had  no  notion  of,  or  inclination  to ;  so 
that  I  had  nothing,  indeed,  to  do  but  to  sit  still,  and  fully  enjoy  what  I  had  got, 


220  Robinson  Crusoe. 

and  see  it  increase  daily  upon  my  hands.  Yet  all  these  things  had  no  effect  upon 
me,  or  at  least  not  enough  to  resist  the  strong  inclination  I  had  to  go  abroad 
again,  which  hung  about  me  like  a  chronical  distemper.  In  particular,  the  desire 
of  seeing  my  new  plantation  in  the  island,  and  the  colony  I  left  there,  ran  in  my 
head  continually.  I  dreamed  of  it  all  night,  and  my  imagination  ran  upon  it  all 
day ;  it  was  uppermost  in  all  my  thoughts ;  and  my  fancy  worked  so  steadily  and 
strongly  upon  it,  that  I  talked  of  it  in  my  sleep  ;  in  short,  nothing  could  remove  it 
out  of  my  mind :  it  even  broke  so  violently  into  all  my  discourses  that  it  made  my 
conversation  tiresome,  for  I  could  talk  of  nothing  else ;  all  my  discourse  ran  into  it, 
even  to  impertinence ;    and  I  saw  it  myself. 

I  have  often  heard  persons  of  good  judgment  say,  that  all  the  stir  people  make 
in  the  world  about  ghosts  and  apparitions  is  owing  to  the  strength  of  imagination, 
and  the  powerful  operation  of  fancy  in  their  minds ;  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
a  spirit  appearing,  or  a  ghost  walking ;  that  people's  poring  affectionately  upon  the 
past  conversation  of  their  deceased  friends,  so  realizes  it  to  them,  that  they  are 
capable  of  fancying,  upon  some  extraordinary  circumstances,  that  they  see  them, 
talk  to  them,  and  are  answered  by  them,  when,  in  truth,  there  is  nothing  but  shadow 
and  vapor  in  the  thing,  and  they  really  know  nothing  of  the  matter. 

For  my  part,  I  know  not  to  this  hour  whether  there  are  any  such  things  as 
real  apparitions,  specters,  or  walking  of  people  after  they  are  dead ;  or  whether 
there  is  anything  in  the  stories  they  tell  us  of  that  kind  more  than  the  product  of 
vapors,  sick  minds,  and  wandering  fancies ;  but  this  I  know,  that  my  imagination 
worked  up  to  such  a  height,  and  brought  me  into  such  excess  of  vapors,  or  what 
else  I  may  call  it,  that  I  actually  supposed  myself  often  upon  the  spot,  at  my  old 
castle,  behind  the  trees ;  saw  my  old  Spaniard,  Friday's  father,  and  the  reprobate 
sailors  I  left  upon  the  island ;  nay,  I  fancied  I  talked  with  them,  and  looked  at 
them  steadily,  though  I  was  broad  awake,  as  at  persons  just  before  me ;  and  this  I 
did  till  I  often  frightened  myself  with  the  images  my  fancy  represented  to  me. 
One  time,  in  my  sleep,  I  had  the  villainy  of  the  three  pirate  sailors  so  lively 
related  to  me  by  the  first  Spaniard  and  Friday's  father,  that  it  was  surprising ; 
they  told  me  how  they  barbarously  attempted  to  murder  all  the  Spaniards,  and  that 
they  set  fire  to  the  provisions  they  had  laid  up,  on  purpose  to  distress  and  starve 
them ;  things  that  I  had  never  heard  of,  and  that,  indeed,  were  never  all  of  them 
true  in  fact :  but  it  was  so  warm  in  my  imagination,  and  so  realized  to  me,  that, 
to  the  hour  I  saw  them,  I  could  not  be  persuaded  but  that  it  was,  or  would  be, 
true  ;  also  how  I  resented  it,  when  the  Spaniard  complained  to  me ;  and  how  I 
brought  them  to  justice,  tried  them,  and  ordered  them  all  three  to  be  hanged. 
What  there  was  really  in  this  shall  be  seen  in  its  place ;  for  however  I  came  to 
form  such  things  in  my  dream,  and  what  secret  converse  of  spirits  injected  it,  yet 
there  was,  I  say,  much  of  it  true.  I  own  that  this  dream  had  nothing  in  it  literally 
and  specifically  true ;  but  the  general  part  was  so  true— the  base,  villainous 
behavior  of  these  three  hardened  rogues  was  such,  and  had  been  so  much  worse 
than  all  I  can  describe,  that  the  dream  had  too  much  similitude  of  the  fact ;  and 
as  I  would  afterwards  have  punished  them  severely,  so,  if  I  had  hanged  them  all, 

to 


Settling  Down.  221 

I  had  been  much  in  the  right,  and  even  should  have  been  justified  both  by  the 
laws  of  God  and  man.  But  to  return  to  my  story.  In  this  kind  of  temper,  I 
lived  some  years;  I  had  no  enjoyment  of  my  life,  no  pleasant  hours,  no  agreeable 
diversion,  but  what  had  something  or  other  of  this  in  it ;  so  that  my  wife,  who 
saw  my  mind  wholly  bent  upon  it,  told  me  very  seriously  one  night,  that  she 
believed  there  was  some  secret,  powerful  impulse  of  Providence  upon  me,  which 
had  determined  me  to  go  thither  again  ;  and  that  she  found  nothing  hindered  my 
going,  but  my  being  engaged  to  a  wife  and  children.  She  told  me  that  it  was 
true  she  could  not  think  of  parting  with  me :  but  as  she  was  assured  that  if  she 
was  dead  it  would  be  the  first  thing  I  would  do  ;  so,  as  it  seemed  to  her  that 
the  thing  was  determined  above,  she  would   not  be  the  only  obstruction ;   for,  if  I 

thought  fit  and  resolved  to   go [  Here  she  found    me  very  intent   upon   her 

words,  and  that  I  looked  very  earnestly  at  her,  so  that  it  a  little  disordered  her, 
and  she  stopped.  I  asked  her  why  she  did  not  go  on,  and  say  out  what  she  was 
going  to  say.  But  I  perceived  that  her  heart  was  too  full,  and  some  tears  stood 
in  her  eyes.]  "Speak  out,  my  dear,"  said  I;  "are  you  willing  I  should  go?" 
"No,"  says  she,  very  affectionately,  "I  am  far  from  willing;  but  if  you  are 
resolved  to  go,"  says  she,  "  rather  than  I  would  be  the  only  hindrance,  I  will  go 
with  you ;  for  though  I  think  it  a  most  preposterous  thing  for  one  of  your  years, 
and  in  your  condition,  yet,  if  it  must  be,"  said  she,  again  weeping,  "  I  would  not 
leave  you ;  for,  if  it  be  of  Heaven,  you  must  do  it ;  there  is  no  resisting  it ;  and 
if  Heaven  make  it  your  duty  to  go,  He  will  also  make  it  mine  to  go  with  you, 
or  otherwise  dispose  of  me,  that  I  may  noc  obstruct  it." 

This  affectionate  behavior  of  my  wife's  brought  me  a  little  out  of  the  vapors, 
and  I  began  to  consider  what  I  was  doing ;  I  corrected  my  wandering  fancy,  and 
began  to  argue  with  myself  sedately  what  business  I  had,  after  threescore  years, 
and  after  such  a  life  of  tedious  sufferings  and  disasters,  and  closed  in  so  happy 
and  easy  a  manner — I  say,  what  business  had  I  to  rush  into  new  hazards,  and  put 
myself  upon  adventures  fit  only  for  youth  and  poverty  to  run  into? 

With  those  thoughts  I  considered  my  new  engagement ;  that  I  had  a  wife,  one 
child  born,  and  my  wife  then  great  with  child  of  another ;  that  I  had  all  the  world 
could  give  me,  and  had  no  need  to  seek  hazard  for  gain  ;  that  I  was  declining  in 
years,  and  ought  to  think  rather  of  leaving  what  I  had  gained  than  of  seeking  to 
increase  it ;  that  as  to  what  my  wife  had  said  of  its  being  an  impulse  from 
Heaven,  and  that  it  should  be  my  duty  to  go,  I  had  no  notion  of  that ;  so,  after 
many  of  these  cogitations,  I  struggled  with  the  power  of  my  imagination,  reasoned 
myself  out  of  it ;  as  I  believe  people  may  always  do  in  like  cases  if  they  will ;  and, 
in  a  word,  I  conquered  it ;  composed  myself  with  such  arguments  as  occurred  to 
my  thoughts,  and  which  my  present  condition  furnished  me  plentifully  with ;  and 
particularly,  as  the  most  effectual  method,  I  resolved  to  divert  myself  with  other 
things,  and  to  engage  in  some  business  that  might  effectually  tie  me  up  from  any 
more  excursions  of  this  kind ;  for  I  found  that  thing  return  upon  me  chiefly  when 
I  was  idle,  and  had  nothing  to  do,  nor  anything  of  moment  immediately  before 
me.     To    this  purpose,   1   bought   a  little    farm  in    the   county   of    Bedford,   and 


222  Robinson  Crusoe. 

resolved  to  remove  myself  thither.  I  had  a  little  convenient  house  upon  it,  and 
the  land  about  it,  I  found,  was  capable  of  great  improvement ;  and  it  was  many 
ways  suited  to  my  inclination,  which  delighted  in  cultivating,  managing,  planting, 
and  improving  of  land ;  and  particularly,  being  an  inland  county,  I  was  removed 
from  conversing  among  sailors,  and  things  relating  to  the  remote  parts  of 
the  world. 

In  a  word,  I  went  down  to  my  farm,  settled  my  family,  bought  ploughs, 
harrows,  a  cart,  wagon,  horses,  cows,  and  sheep,  and,  setting  seriously  to  work, 
became  in  one-half  year  a  mere  country  gentleman ;  my  thoughts  were  entirely 
taken  up  in  managing  my  servants,  cultivating  the  ground,  inclosing,  planting,  etc. ; 
and  I  lived,  as  I  thought,  the  most  agreeable  life  that  nature  was  capable  of 
directing,  or  that  a  man  always  bred  to  misfortunes  was  capable  of  retreating  to. 

I  farmed  upon  my  own  land ;  I  had  no  rent  to  pay,  was  limited  by  no  articles ; 
I  could  pull  up  or  cut  down  as  I  pleased  ;  what  I  planted  was  for  myself,  and 
what  I  improved  was  for  my  family ;  and  having  thus  left  off  the  thoughts  of 
wandering,  I  had  not  the  least  discomfort  in  any  part  of  life  as  to  this  world. 
Now  I  thought  indeed  that  I  enjoyed  the  middle  state  of  life,  which  my  father  so 
earnestly  recommended  to  me,  and  lived  a  kind  of  ■  heavenly  life,  something  like 
what  is  described  by  the  poet,  upon  the  subject  of  a  country  life :  — 

"  Free  from  vices,  free  from  care, 
Age  has  no  pain,  and  youth  no  snare. " 

But  in  the  middle  of  all  this  felicity,  one  blow  from  unseen  Providence  unhinged 
me  at  once  ;  and  not  only  made  a  breach  upon  me  inevitable  and  incurable,  but 
drove  me,  by  its  consequences,  into  a  deep  relapse  of  the  wandering  disposition, 
which,  as  I  may  say,  being  bom  in  my  very  blood,  soon  recovered  its  hold  of  me ; 
and,  like  the  returns  of  a  violent  distemper,  came  on  with  an  irresistible  force 
upon  me.  This  blow  was  the  loss  of  my  wife.  It  is  not  my  business  here  to  write 
an  elegy  upon  my  wife,  give  a  character  of  her  particular  virtues,  and  make  my 
court  to  the  sex  by  the  flattery  of  a  funeral  sermon.  She  was,  in  a  few  words,  the 
stay  of  all  my  affairs,  the  center  of  all  my  enterprises,  the  engine  that,  by  her 
prudence,  reduced  me  to  that  happy  compass  I  was  in,  from  the  most  extravagant 
and  ruinous  project  that  filled  my  head ;  and  did  more  to  guide  my  rambling 
genius  than  a  mother's  tears,  a  father's  instructions,  a  friend's  counsel,  or  all  my 
own  reasoning  powers  could  do.  I  was  happy  in  listening  to  her,  and  in  being 
moved  by  her  entreaties  ;  and  to  the  last  degree  desolate  and  dislocated  in  the 
world  by  the  loss  of  her.  When  she  was  gone,  the  world  looked  awkwardly  round 
me.  I  was  as  much  a  stranger  in  it,  in  my  thoughts,  as  I  was  in  the  Brazils, 
when  I  first  went  on  shore  there  ;  and  as  much  alone,  except  for  the  assistance  of 
servants,  as  I  was  in  my  island.  I  knew  neither  what  to  think  nor  what  to  do. 
I  saw  the  world  busy  around  me ;  one  part  laboring  for  bread,  another  part 
squandering  in  vile  excesses  or  empty  pleasures,  equally  miserable,  because  the  end 
they  proposed  still  fled  from  them ;  for  the  men  of  pleasure  every  day  surfeited  of 
their  vice,  and  heaped  up  work  for  sorrow  and  repentance ;   and  the  men  of  labor 


London.  223 

spent  their  strength  in  daily  struggling  for  bread  to  maintain  the  vital  strength  they 
labored  with ;  so  living  in  a  daily  circulation  of  sorrow,  living  but  to  work,  and 
working  but  to  live,  as  if  daily  bread  were  the  only  end  of  wearisome  life,  and  a 
wearisome  life  the  only  occasion  of  daily  bread. 

This  put  me  in  mind  of  the  life  I  lived  in  my  kingdom,  the  island ;  where  I 
suffered  no  more  corn  to  grow,  because  I  did  not  want  it ;  and  bred  no  more  goats, 
because  I  had  no  more  use  for  them ;  where  the  money  lay  in  the  drawer  till  it  grew 
moldy,  and  had  scarce  the  favor  to  be  looked  upon  in  twenty  years. 

All  these  things,  had  I  improved  them  as  I  ought  to  have  done,  and  as  reason 
and  religion  had  dictated  to  me,  would  have  taught  me  to  search  farther  than  human 
enjoyments  for  a  full  felicity ;  and  that  there  was  something  which  certainly  was 
the  reason  and  end  of  life,  superior  to  all  these  things,  and  which  was  either  to  be 
possessed,  or  at  least  hoped  for,  on  this  side  the  grave. 

But  my  sage  counselor  was  gone ;  I  was  like  a  ship  without  a  pilot,  that  could 
only  run  afore  the  wind.  My  thoughts  ran  all  away  again  into  the  old  affair ;  my 
head  was  quite  turned  with  the  whimseys  of  foreign  adventures ;  and  all  the  pleasant, 
innocent  amusements  of  my  farm,  my  garden,  my  cattle,  and  my  family,  which 
before  entirely  possessed  me,  were  nothing  to  me,  had  no  relish,  and  were  like 
music  to  one  that  has  no  ear,  or  food  to  one  that  has  no  taste ;  in  a  word,  I  resolved 
to  leave  off  housekeeping,  let  my  farm,  and  return  to  London ;  and  in  a  few  months 
after  I  did  so. 

When  I  came  to  London,  I  was  still  as  uneasy  as  I  was  before ;  I  had  no 
relish  for  the  place,  no  employment  in  it,  nothing  to  do  but  to  saunter  about  like 
an  idle  person,  of  whom  it  may  be  said  he  is  perfectly  useless  in  God's  creation, 
and  it  is  not  one  farthing's  matter  to  the  rest  of  his  kind  whether  he  be  dead  or 
alive.  This  also  was  the  thing  which,  of  all  circumstances  of  life,  was  the  most 
my  aversion,  who  had  been  all  my  days  used  to  an  active  life ;  and  I  would 
often  say  to  myself,  "A  state  of  idleness  is  the  very  dregs  of  life;  "  and,  indeed, 
I  thought  I  was  much  more  suitably  employed  when  I  was  twenty-six  days  making 
a  deal  board. 

It  was  now  the  beginning  of  the  year  1693,  when  my  nephew,  whom,  as  I 
have  observed  before,  I  had  brought  up  to  the  sea,  and  had  made  him  commander 
of  a  ship,  was  come  home  from  a  short  voyage  to  Bilboa,  being  the  first  he  had 
made.  He  came  to  me,  and  told  me  that  some  merchants  of  his  acquaintance 
had  been  proposing  to  him  to  go  a  voyage  for  them  to  the  East  Indies,  and  to 
China,  as  private  traders.  "  And  now,  uncle,"  says  he,  "  if  you  will  go  to  sea  with 
me,  I  will  engage  to  land  you  upon  your  old  habitation  in  the  island ;  for  we 
are  to  touch  at  the  Brazils." 

Nothing  can  be  a  greater  demonstration  of  a  future  state,  and  of  the  existence 
of  an  invisible  world,  than  the  concurrence  of  second  causes  with  the  ideas  of 
things  which  we  form  in  our  minds,  perfectly  reserved,  and  not  communicated  to 
any  in  the  world. 

My  nephew  knew  nothing  how  far  my  distemper  of  wandering  was  returned 
upon  me,  and  I  knew  nothing  of  what  he  had  in  his  thoughts  to  say,  when  that 


224  Robinson  Crusoe. 

very  morning  before  he  came  to  me,  I  had,  in  a  great  deal  of  confusion  of 
thought,  and  revolving  every  part  of  my  circumstances  in  my  mind,  come  to  this 
resolution,  that  I  would  go  to  Lisbon,  and  consult  with  my  old  sea-captain ;  and 
if  it  was  rational  and  practicable,  I  would  go  and  see  the  island  again,  and  what 
was  become  of  my  people  there.  I  had  pleased  myself  with  the  thoughts  of 
peopling  the  place,  and  carrying  inhabitants  from  hence,  getting  a  patent  for  the 
possession,  and  I  know  not  what ;  when,  in  the  middle  of  all  this,  in  comes  my 
nephew,  as  I  have  said,  with  his  project  of  carrying  me  thither  in  his  way  to  the 
East  Indies. 

I  paused  awhile  at  his  words,  and  looking  steadily  at  him,  "  What  devil,"  said 
I,  "sent  you  on  this  unlucky  errand?"  My  nephew  stared  as  if  he  had  been 
frightened,  at  first ;  but  perceiving  that  I  was  not  much  displeased  with  the 
proposal,  he  recovered  himself.  "  I  hope  it  may  not  be  an  unlucky  proposal, 
sir,"  says  he ;  "I  dare  say  you  would  be  pleased  to  see  your  new  colony  there, 
where  you  once  reigned  with  more  felicity  than  most  of  your  brother  monarchs  in 
the  world." 

In  a  word,  the  scheme  hit  so  exactly  with  my  temper,  that  is  to  say,  the 
prepossession  I  was  under,  and  of  which  I  have  said  so  much,  that  I  told  him, 
in  a  few  words,  if  he  agreed  with  the  merchants,  I  would  go  with  him ;  but  I 
told  him  I  would  not  promise  to  go  any  farther  than  my  own  island.  "  Why, 
sir,"  says  he,  "you  don't  want  to  be  left  there  again,  I  hope?"  "Why,"  said  I, 
"can  you  not  take  me  up  again  on  your  return?  "  He  told  me  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  do  so ;  that  the  merchants  would  never  allow  him  to  come  that  way 
with  a  laden  ship  of  such  value,  it  being  a  month's  sail  out  of  his  way,  and 
might  be  three  or  four.  "  Besides,  sir,  if  I  should  miscarry,"  said  he,  "  and  not 
return  at  all,  then  you  would  be  just  reduced  to  the  condition  you  were 
in  before." 

This  was  very  rational ;  but  we  both  found  out  a  remedy  for  it ;  which  was, 
to  carry  a  framed  sloop  on  board  the  ship,  which  being  taken  in  pieces,  and 
shipped  on  board  the  ship,  might,  by  the  help  of  some  carpenters,  whom  we 
agreed  to  carry  with  us,  be  set  up  again  in  the  island,  and  finished  fit  to  go  to 
sea  in  a  few  days. 

I  was  not  long  resolving ;  for,  indeed,  the  importunities  of  my  nephew  joined 
so  effectually  with  my  inclination,  that  nothing  could  oppose  me.  On  the  other 
hand,  my  wife  being  dead,  nobody  concerned  themselves  so  much  for  me  as  to 
persuade  me  to  one  way  or  the  other,  except  my  ancient  good  friend  the  widow, 
who  earnestly  struggled  with  me  to  consider  my  years,  my  easy  circumstances,  and 
the  needless  hazards  of  a  long  voyage ;  and  above  all,  my  young  children.  But 
it  was  all  to  no  purpose  ;  I  had  an  irresistible  desire  for  the  voyage ;  and  I  told 
her  I  thought  there  was  something  so  uncommon  in  the  impressions  I  had  upon  my 
mind,  that  it  would  be  a  kind  of  resisting  Providence  if  I  should  attempt  to  stay  at 
home ;  after  which  she  ceased  her  expostulations,  and  joined  with  me,  not 
only  in  making  provision  for  my  voyage,  but  also  in  settling  my  family  affairs  for 
my  absence,  and  providing  for  the  education  of  my  children. 


Preparations  for  Departure. 


225 


"it  was  all  to  no  purpose"  {p.  224). 


In  order  to  do  this,  I  made  my  will,  and  settled  the  estate  I  had  in  such  a 
manner  for  my  children,  and  placed  in  such  hands,  that  I  was  perfectly  easy  and 
satisfied  they  would  have  justice  done  them,  whatever  might  befall  me  ;  and  for 
their  education,  I  left  it  wholly  to  the  widow,  with  a  sufficient  maintenance  to 
herself  for  her  care  :  all  which  she  richly  deserved ;  for  no  mother  could  have 
taken  more  care  in  their  education,  or  understood  it  better ;  and  as  she  lived  till 
I  came  home,  I  also  lived  to  thank  her  for  it. 

My  nephew  was  ready  to  sail  about  the  beginning  of  January,  1694-5  ;  and  I, 
with  my  man  Friday,  went  on  board,  in  the  Downs,  on  the  8th ;  having,  besides 
that  sloop,  which  I  mentioned  above,  a  very  considerable  cargo  of  all  kinds  of 
necessary  things  for  my  colony ;  which,  if  I  did  not  find  in  good  condition,  I  resolved' 
to  leave  so. 

First,  I  carried  with  me  some  servants,  whom  I  purposed  to  place  there  as 
inhabitants,  or  at  least  to  set  on  work  there,  upon  my  account,  while  I  stayed, 
and  either  to  leave  them  there  or  carry  them  forward,  as  they  should  appear 
willing ;  particularly  I  carried  two  carpenters,  a  smith,  and  a  very  handy,  ingenious 
fellow,  who  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  was  also  a  general  mechanic ;  for  he  was 
dexterous  at  making  wheels,  and  hand-mills  to  grind  corn,  was  a  good  turner,  and 
a  good  pot-maker ;  he  also  made  anything  that  was  proper  to  make  of  earth  or 
of  wood ;  in  a  word,  we  called  him  our  Jack-of-all-trades.     With  these  I  carried 


226  Robinson  Crusoe. 

a  tailor,  who  had  offered  himself  to  go  a  passenger  to  the  East  Indies  with  my 
nephew,  but  afterwards  consented  to  stay  on  our  new  plantation ;  and  who  proved 
a  most  necessary,  handy  fellow,  as  could  be  desired,  in  many  other  businesses 
besides  that  of  his  trade ;  for,  as  I  observed  formerly,  necessity  arms  us  for  all 
employments. 

My  cargo,  as  near  as  I  can  recollect,  for  I  have  not  kept  account  of  the  par- 
ticulars, consisted  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  linen,  and  some  English  thin  stuffs, 
for  clothing  the  Spaniards  that  I  expected  to  find  there ;  and  enough  of  them  as, 
by  my  calculation,  might  comfortably  supply  them  for  seven  years.  If  I  remember 
right,  the  materials  I  earned  for  clothing  them,  with  gloves,  hats,  shoes,  stockings, 
and  all  such  things  as  they  could  want  for  wearing,  amounted  to  above  two  hundred 
pounds,  including  some  beds,  bedding,  and  household  stuff,  particularly  kitchen 
utensils,  with  pots,  kettles,  pewter,  brass,  etc.,  and  near  a  hundred  pounds  more 
in  iron-work,  nails,  tools  of  every  kind,  staples,  hooks,  hinges,  and  every  necessary 
\  thing  I  could  think  of. 

I  carried  also  a  hundred  spare  arms,  muskets,  and  fusees ;  besides  some  pistols, 
a  considerable  quantity  of  shot  of  all  sizes,  three  or  four  tons  of  lead,  and  two 
pieces  of  brass  cannon ;  and,  because  I  knew  not  what  time  and  what  extremities 
I  was  providing  for,  I  carried  a  hundred  barrels  of  powder,  besides  swords,  cutlasses, 
and  the  iron  part  of  some  pikes  and  halberts ;  so  that,  in  short,  we  had  a  large 
magazine  of  all  sorts  of  stores :  and  I  made  my  nephew  carry  two  small  quarter- 
deck guns  more  than  he  wanted  for  his  ship,  to  leave  behind  if  there  was  occasion ; 
that  when  we  came  there,  we  might  build  a  fort,  and  man  it  against  all  sorts  of 
enemies ;  and,  indeed,  I  at  first  thought  there  would  be  need  enough  for  all,  and 
much  more,  if  we  hoped  to  maintain  our  possession  of  the  island ;  as  shall  be 
seen  in  the  course  of  the  story. 

I  had  not  such  bad  luck  in  this  voyage  as  I  had  been  used  to  meet  with ; 
and,  therefore,  shall  have  the  less  occasion  to  interrupt  the  reader,  who,  perhaps, 
may  be  impatient  to  hear  how  matters  went  with  my  colony.  Yet  some  odd 
accidents,  cross  winds,  and  bad  weather,  happened  on  this  first  setting  out,  which 
made  the  voyage  longer  than  I  expected  it  at  first ;  and  I,  who  had  never  made 
but  one  voyage,  my  first  voyage  to  Guinea,  in  which  I  might  be  said  to  come 
back  again,  as  the  voyage  was  at  first  designed,  began  to  think  the  same  ill  fate 
attended  me  ;  and  that  I  was  bom  to  be  never  contented  with  being  on  shore, 
and  yet  to  be  always  unfortunate  at  sea. 

Contrary  winds  first  put  us  to  the  northward,  and  we  were  obliged  to  put  in 
at  Galway,  in  Ireland,  where  we  lay  wind-bound  two-and-twenty  days ;  but  we  had 
this  satisfaction  with  the  disaster,  that  provisions  were  here  exceeding  cheap,  and 
in  the  utmost  plenty ;  so  that  while  we  lay  here,  we  never  touched  the  ship's 
stores,  but  rather  added  to  them.  Here,  also,  I  took  in  several  live  hogs,  and  two 
cows  with  their  calves,  which  I  resolved,  if  I  had  a  good  passage,  to  put  on  shore 
in  my  island ;   but  we  found  occasion  to  dispose  otherwise  of  them. 

We  set  out  on  the  5th  of  February  from  Ireland,  and  had  a  very  fair  gale  of 
wind  for  some  days.     As  I  remember,  it  might  be  about  the  20th  of  February,  in 


A  Fife  at  Sea.  227 

the  evening  late,  when  the  mate,  having  the  watch,  came  into  the  round-house,  and 
told  us  he  saw  a  flash  of .  fire,  and  heard  a  gun  fired ;  and  while  he  was  telling  us 
of  it,  a  boy  came  in,  and  told  us  the  boatswain  heard  another.  This  made  us 
all  run  out  upon  the  quarter-deck,  where,  for  awhile,  we  heard  nothing ;  but  in  a 
few  minutes  we  saw  a  very  great  light,  and  found  that  there  was  some  very  terrible 
fire  at  a  distance.  Immediately  we  had  recourse  to  our  reckonings,  in  which  we 
all  agreed  that  there  could  be  no  land  that  way  in  which  the  fire  showed  itself,  no 
not  for  five  hundred  leagues,  for  it  appeared  at  W.N.W.  Upon  this,  we  concluded 
it  must  be  some  ship  on  fire  at  sea ;  and  as,  by  our  hearing  the  noise  of  guns  just 
before,  we  concluded  that  it  could  not  be  far  off,  we  stood  directly  towards  it,  and 
were  presently  satisfied  we  should  discover  it,  because  the  farther  we  sailed,  the 
greater  the  light  appeared ;  though,  the  weather  being  hazy,  we  could  not  perceive 
anything  but  the  light  for  awhile.  In  about  half  an  hour's  sailing,  the  wind 
being  fair  for  us,  though  not  much  of  it,  and  the  weather  clearing  up  a  little,  we 
could  plainly  discern  that  it  was  a  great  ship  on  fire,  in  the  middle  of  the  sea. 

I  was  most  sensibly  touched  with  this  disaster,  though  not  at  all  acquainted 
with  the  persons  engaged  in  it :  I  presently  recollected  my  former  circumstances, 
and  what  condition  I  was  in  when  taken  up  by  the  Portuguese  captain ;  and  how 
much  more  deplorable  the  circumstances  of  the  poor  creatures  belonging  to  that 
ship  must  be,  if  they  had  no  other  ship  in  company  with  them.  Upon  this,  I 
immediately  ordered  that  five  guns  should  be  fired,  one  soon  after  another,  that,  if 
possible,  we  might  give  notice  to  them  that  there  was  help  for  them  at  hand,  and 
that  they  might  endeavor  to  save  themselves  in  their  boat ;  for  though  we  could  see 
the  flames  of  the  ship,  yet  they,  it  being  night,  could  see  nothing  of  us. 

We  lay  by  some  time  upon  this,  only  driving  as  the  burning  ship  drove,  wait- 
ing for  daylight ;  when,  on  a  sudden,  to  our  great  terror,  though  we  had  reason 
to  expect  it,  the  ship  blew  up  in  the  air ;  and  immediately,  that  is  to  say,  in  a 
few  minutes,  all  the  fire  was  out,  that  is  to  say,  the  rest  of  the  ship  sunk.  This 
was  a  terrible,  and,  indeed,  an  afflicting  sight,  for  the  sake  of  the  poor  men,  who, 
I  concluded,  must  be  either  all  destroyed  in  the  ship,  or  be  in  the  utmost  distress 
in  their  boat,  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean ;  which,  at  present,  as  it  was  dark,  I 
could  not  see.  However,  to  direct  them  as  well  as  I  could,  I  caused  lights  to 
be  hung  out  in  all  parts  of  the  ship  where  we  could,  and  which  we  had  lanterns 
for,  and  kept  firing  guns  all  the  night  long ;  letting  them  know  by  this  that  there 
was  a  ship  not  far  off. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  discovered  the  ship's  boats  by  the  help 
of  our  perspective  glasses,  and  found  there  were  two  of  them.,  both  thronged  with 
people,  and  deep  in  the  water.  We  perceived  they  rowed,  the  wind  being  against 
them  ;   that  they  saw  our  ship,  and  did  their  utmost  to  make  us  see  them. 

We  immediately  spread  our  ancient,  to  let  them  know  we  saw  them,  and  hung 
a  waft  out,  as  a  signal  for  them  to  come  on  board  ;  and  then  made  more  sail,  standing 
directly  to  them.  In  little  more  than  half  an  hour,  we  came  up  with  them ;  and 
in  a  word,  took  them  all  in,  being  no  less  than  sixty-four  men,  women,  and  children  ; 
for  there  were  a  great  many  passengers. 


228  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Upon  inquiry,  we  found  it  was  a  French  merchant  ship  of  three  hundred  tons, 
homeward-bound  from  Quebec,  in  the  river  of  Canada.  The  master  gave  us  a 
long  account  of  the  distress  of  his  ship  ;  how  the  fire  began  in  the  steerage,  by 
the  negligence  of  the  steersman ;  but,  on  his  crying  out  for  help,  was,  as  everybody 
thought,  entirely  put  out ;  but  they  soon  found  that  some  sparks  of  the  first  fire  had 
got  into  some  part  of  the  ship  so  difficult  to  come  at  that  they  could  not  effectually 
quench  it ;  and  afterwards  getting  in  between  the  timbers,  and  within  the  ceiling 
of  the  ship,  it  proceeded  into  the  hold,  and  mastered  all  the  skill  and  all  the 
application  they  were  able  to  exert. 

They  had  no  more  to  do  then  but  to  get  into  their  boats,  which,  to  their  great 
comfort,  were  pretty  large ;  being  their  long-boat,  and  a  great  shallop,  besides  a 
small  skiff,  which  was  of  no  great  service  to  them,  other  than  to  get  some  fresh 
water  and  provisions  into  her,  after  they  had  secured  their  dives  from  the  fire. 
They  had,  indeed,  small  hope  of  their  lives  by  getting  into  these  boats,  at  that 
distance  from  land ;  only,  as  they  said,  that  they  thus  escaped  from  the  fire,  and 
there  was  a  possibility  that  some  ship  might  happen  to  be  at  sea,  and  might  take 
them  in.  They  had  sails,  oars,  and  a  compass ;  and  were  preparing  to  make  the 
best  of  their  way  back  to  Newfoundland,  the  wind  blowing  pretty  fair,  for  it  blew, 
an  easy  gale  at  S.E.  by  E.  They  had  as  much  provision  and  water  as,  with 
sparing  it  so  as  to  be  next  door  to  starving,  might  support  them  about  twelve 
days,  in  which,  if  they  had  no  bad  weather  and  no  contrary  winds,  the  captain 
said  he  hoped  he  might  get  to  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  and  might  perhaps 
take  some  fish,  to  sustain  them  till  they  might  go  on  shore.  But  there  were  so 
many  chances  against  them  in  all  these  cases,  such  as  storms,  to  overset  and 
founder  them ;  rains  and  cold,  to  benumb  and  perish  their  limbs ;  contrary  winds, 
to  keep  them  out  and  starve  them ;  that  it  must  have  been  next  to  miraculous  if 
they  had  escaped. 

In  the  midst  of  their  consternation,  every  one  being  hopeless  and  ready  to 
despair,  the  captain,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  told  me  they  were  on  a  sudden  sur- 
prised with  the  joy  of  hearing  a  gun  fire,  and  after  that  four  more:  these  were 
the  five  guns  which  I  caused  to  be  fired  at  first  seeing  the  light.  This  revived 
their  hearts,  and  gave  them  the  notice,  which,  as  above,  I  desired  it  should,  that 
there  was  a  ship  at  hand  for  their  help.  It  was  upon  the  hearing  of  these  guns 
that  they  took  down  their  masts  and  sails :  the  sound  coming  from  the  windward, 
they  resolved  to  lie  by  till  morning.  Some  time  after  this,  hearing  no  more  guns, 
they  fired  three  muskets,  one  a  considerable  while  after  another;  but  these,  the 
wind  being  contrary,  we  never  heard. 

Some  time  after  that  again,  they  were  still  more  agreeably  surprised  with  seeing 
our  lights,  and  hearing  the  guns,  which,  as  I  have  said,  I  caused  to  be  fired  all 
the  rest  of  the  night.  This  set  them  to  work  with  their  oars,  to  keep  their  boats 
ahead,  at  least,  that  we  might  the  sooner  come  up  with  them ;  and,  at  last,  to 
their  inexpressible  joy,  they  found  we  saw  them. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  express  the  several  gestures,  the  strange  ecstasies, 
the  variety  of    postures  which    these    poor    delivered    people  ran  into,  to   express 


I 


A  Fire  at  Sea. 


229 


the  joy  of  their  souls  at  so  unexpected  a  deliverance.  Grief  and  fear  are  easily 
described ;  sighs,  tears,  groans,  and  a  very  few  motions  of  the  head  and  hands, 
make  up  the  sum  of  its  variety ;  but  an  excess  of  joy,  a  surprise  of  joy,  has  a 
thousand  extravagances  in  it.  There  were  some  in  tears ;  some  raging  and  tearing 
themselves,  as  if  they  had  been  in  the  greatest  agonies  of  sorrow ;  some  stark 
raving  and  downright  lunatic ;   some  ran  about  the  ship  stamping  with  their  feet, 


"THE    SHIP    BLEW    UP  "    (/.   227). 


others  wringing  their  hands ;  some  were  dancing,  some  singing,  some  laughing, 
more  crying,  many  quite  dumb,  not  able  to  speak  a  word ;  others  sick  and  vomiting ; 
several  swooning  and  ready  to  faint ;  and  a  few  were  crossing  themselves,  and  giving 
God  thanks. 

I  would  not  wrong  them  either ;  there  might  be  many  that  were  thankful  after- 
wards ;  but  the  passion  was  too  strong  for  them  at  first,  and  they  were  not  able 
to  master  it ;  they  were  thrown  into  ecstasies,  and  a  kind  of  frenzy,  and  it  was  but 
a  very  few  that  were  composed  and  serious  in  their  joy. 

Perhaps,  also,  the  case  may  have  some  addition  to  it  from  the  particular  cir- 
cumstance of  the  nation  they  belonged  to ;  I  mean  the  French,  whose  temper  is 
allowed  to  be  more  volatile,  more  passionate,  and  more  sprightly,  and  their  spirits 
more  fluid  than  of  other  nations.      I  am  not  philosopher  enough  to  determine  the 


230  Robinson  Crusoe. 

cause ;  but  nothing  I  had  ever  seen  before  came  up  to  it.  The  ecstasies  poor 
Friday,  my  trusty  savage,  was  in,  when  he  found  his  father  in  the  boat,  came  the 
nearest  to  it ;  and  the  surprise  of  the  master  and  his  two  companions,  whom  I 
delivered  from  the  villains  that  set  them  on  shore  in  the  island,  came  a  little  way 
towards  it ;  but  nothing  was  to  compare  to  this,  either  that  I  saw  in  Friday,  or 
anywhere  else  in  my  life. 

It  is  further  observable,  that  these  extravagances  did  not  show  themselves  in 
that  different  manner  I  have  mentioned,  in  different  persons  only ;  but  ail  the 
variety  would  appear,  in  a  short  succession  of  moments,  in  one  and  the  same 
person.  A  man  that  we  saw  this  minute  dumb,  and,  as  it  were,  stupid  and  con- 
founded, would  the  next  minute  be  dancing  and  hallooing  like  an  antic ;  and  the 
next  moment  be  tearing  his  hair,  or  pulling  his  clothes  to  pieces,  and  stamping 
them  under  his  feet  like  a  madman ;  in  a  few  moments  after  we  would  have  him 
all  in  tears,  then  sick,  swooning,  and,  had  not  immediate  help  been  had,  he  would 
in  a  few  minutes  have  been  dead ;  and  thus  it  was  not  with  one  or  two,  or  ten 
or  twenty,  but  with  the  greatest  part  of  them ;  and,  if  I  remember  right,  our 
surgeon  was  obliged  to  let  blood  of  about  thirty  of  them. 

There  were  two  priests  among  them:  one  an  old  man,  and  the  other  a  young 
man ;  and  that  which  was  strangest  was,  the  oldest  man  was  the  worst.  As  soon 
as  he  set  his  foot  on  board  our  ship,  and  saw  himself  safe,  he  dropped  down  stone 
dead  to  all  appearance ;  not  the  least  sign  of  life  could  be  perceived  in  him : 
our  surgeon  immediately  applied  proper  remedies  to  recover  him,  and  was  the  only 
man  in  the  ship  that  believed  he  was  not  dead.  At  length  he  opened  a  vein  in 
his  arm,  having  first  chafed  and  rubbed  the  part,  so  as  to  warm  it  as  much  as 
possible.  Upon  this,  the  blood,  which  only  dropped  at  first,  flowing  freely,  in  three 
minutes  after  the  man  opened  his  eyes ;  and  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  that  he 
spoke,  grew  better,  and  in  a  little  time  quite  well.  After  the  blood  was  stopped, 
he  walked  about,  told  us  he  was  perfectly  well,  took  a  dram  of  cordial  which  the 
surgeon  gave  him,  and  had  come  to  himself.  About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after 
this,  they  came  running  into  the  cabin  to  the  surgeon,  who  was  bleeding  a  French 
woman  that  had  fainted,  and  told  him  the  priest  was  gone  stark  mad.  It  seems 
he  had  begun  to  revolve  the  change  of  his  circumstances  in  his  mind,  and  again 
this  put  him  into  an  ecstasy  of  joy.  His  spirits  whirled  about  faster  than  the 
vessels  could  convey  them,  the  blood  grew  hot  and  feverish ;  and  the  man  was  as 
fit  for  Bedlam  as  any  creature  that  ever  was  in  it.  The  surgeon  would  not  bleed 
him  again  in  that  condition,  but  gave  him  something  to  doze  and  put  him  to 
sleep ;  which,  after  some  time,  operated  upon  him,  and  he  awoke  next  morning 
perfectly  composed  and  well. 

The  younger  priest  behaved  with  great  command  of  his  passions,  and  was 
really  an  example  of  a  serious,  well-governed  mind.  At  his  first  coming  on 
board  the  ship,  he  threw  himself  flat  on  his  face,  prostrating  himself  in 
thankfulness  for  his  deliverance,  in  which  I  unhappily  and  unseasonably  dis- 
turbed him,  really  thinking  he  had  been  in  a  swoon ;  but  he  spoke  calmly, 
thanked  me,   told   me   he  was   giving   God  thanks,  for  his  deliverance,  begged  me 


Gratitude  of  the  Saved.  231 

to  leave  him  a  few  moments,  and  that,  next  to  his  Maker,  he  would  give  me 
thanks  also. 

I  was  heartily  sorry  that  I  disturbed  him,  and  not  only  left  him,  but  kept 
others  from  interrupting  him  also.  He  continued  in  that  posture  about  three 
minutes,  or  little  more,  after  I  left  him,  then  came  to  me,  as  he  had  said  he  would, 
and,  with  a  great  deal  of  seriousness  and  affection,  but  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
thanked  me,  that  had,  under  God,  given  him  and  so  many  miserable  creatures  their 
lives.  I  told  him  I  had  no  need  to  tell  him  to  thank  God  for  it,  rather  than  me, 
for  I  had  seen  that  he  had  done  that  already ;  but  I  added  that  it  was  nothing  but 
what  reason  and  humanity  dictated  to  all  men,  and  that  we  had  as  much 
reason  as  he  to  give  thanks  to  God,  who  had  blessed  us  so  far  as  to  make  us  the 
instruments  of  His  mercy  to  so  many  of  His  creatures. 

After  this  the  young  priest  applied  himself  to  his  countrymen ;  labored  to  com- 
pose them ;  persuaded,  entreated,  argued,  reasoned  with  them,  and  did  his  utmost 
to  keep  them  within  the  exercise  of  their  reason ;  and  with  some  he  had  success, 
though  others  were  for  a  time  out  of  all  government  of  themselves. 

I  cannot  help  committing  this  to  writing,  as  perhaps  it  may  be  useful  to  those 
into  whose  hands  it  may  fall,  for  guiding  themselves  in  the  extravagances  of  their 
passions ;  for  if  an  excess  of  joy  can  carry  men  out  to  such  a  length  beyond  the 
reach  of  their  reason,  what  will  not  the  extravagances  of  anger,  rage,  and  a  pro- 
voked mind,  carry  us  to?  And,  indeed,  here  I  saw  reason  for  keeping  an  exceeding 
watch  over  our  passions  of  every  kind,  as  well  those  of  joy  and  satisfaction,  as 
those  of  sorrow  and  anger. 

We  were  somewhat  disordered  by  these  extravagances  among  our  new  guests, 
for  the  first  day ;  but  after  they  had  retired  to  lodgings  provided  for  them  as  well 
as  our  ship  would  allow,  and  they  had  slept  heartily — as  most  of  them  did,  being 
fatigued  and  frightened — they  were  quite  another  sort  of  people  the  next  day. 

Nothing  of  good  manners,  or  civil  acknowledgments  for  the  kindness  shown 
them,  was  wanting ;  the  French,  it  is  known,  are  naturally  apt  enough  to  exceed 
that  way.  The  captain  and  one  of  the  priests  came  to  me  the  next  day,  and 
desired  to  speak  with  me  and  my  nephew.  The  commander  began  to  consult  with 
us  what  should  be  done  with  them ;  and,  first,  they  told  us  we  had  saved  their 
lives,  so  all  they  had  was  little  enough  for  a  return  to  us  for  that  kindness  received. 
The  captain  said  they  had  saved  some  money  and  some  things  of  value  in  their 
boats,  caught  hastily  out  of  the  flames,  and  if  we  would  accept  it,  they  were  ordered 
to  make  an  offer  of  it  all  to  us ;  they  only  desired  to  be  set  on  shore  somewhere 
in  our  way,  where,  if  possible,  they  might  get  a  passage  to  France.  My  nephew 
wished  to  accept  their  money  at  first  word,  and  to  consider  what  to  do  with 
them  afterwards ;  but  I  overruled  him  in  that  part,  for  I  knew  what  it  was  to  be 
set  on  shore  in  a  strange  country ;  and  if  the  Portuguese  captain  that  took  me 
up  at  sea  had  served  me  so,  and  taken  all  I  had  for  my  deliverance,  I  must  have 
starved,  or  have  been  as  much  a  slave  at  the  Brazils  as  I  had  been  at  Barbary,  the 
mere  being  sold  to  a  Mahometan  excepted ;  and  perhaps  a  Portuguese  is  not  a  much 
better  master  than  a  Turk,  if  not,  in  some  cases,  much  worse. 


232 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


I  therefore  told  the  French  captain  that 
we  had  taken  them  up  in  their  distress,  it  was 
true,  but  that  it  was  our  duty  to  do  so,  as 
we  were  fellow-creatures  ;  and  we  would  desire 
to  be  so  delivered,  if  we  were  in  the  like  or 
any  other  extremity  ;  that  we  had  done 
nothing  for  them  but  what  we  believed  ---M 

they   would    have    done    for  us,   if  we 
had    been    in   their    case,   and    they  in 
ours ;     but   that   we   took    them   up    to 
save  them,  not  to  plunder  them ;     and 
it  would    be   a   most    barbarous    thing 
to    take    that    little 
from      them     which 
they  had   saved  out 
of  the  fire,  and  then 


set  them  on  shore  and 
leave  them ;  that  this 
would  be  first  to  save 
them  from  death,  and 
then  kill  them  our- 
selves :  save  them  from 
drowning,  and  aban- 
don them  to  starving ; 
and,  therefore,  I  would 
not  let  the  least  thing 
be  taken  from  them. 
As  to  setting  them  on 
shore,  I  told  them, 
indeed,  that    was     an 


exceeding  difficulty  to 
us,  for  that  the  ship 
was  bound  to  the  East 
Indies ;  and  though 
we  were  driven  out  of 
our  course  to  the  west- 
ward a  very  great  way, 
and  perhaps  were  di- 
rected by  Heaven  on  purpose  for  their  deliverance,  yet  it  was  impossible  for  uh 
willfully  to  change  our  voyage  on  their  particular  account ;  nor  could  my  nephew, 
the  captain,  answer  it  to  the  freighters,  with  whom  he  was  under  charter  to  pursue 
his  voyage  by  way  of  Brazil ;    and  all   I   knew  we  could  do  for  them  was,  to  put 


THE    MATE    BROUGHT    SIX    MEN    WITH    HIM  "    (p.    234). 


Making  for  the  West  Indies.  233 

ourselves  in  the  way  of  meeting  with  other  ships  homeward  bound  from  the  West 
Indies,  and  get  them  a  passage,  if  possible,  to  England  or  France. 

The  first  part  of  the  proposal  was  so  generous  and  kind,  they  could  not  but 
be  very  thankful  for  it ;  but  they  were  in  very  great  consternation,  especially  the 
passengers,  at  the  notion  of  being  carried  away  to  the  East  Indies ;  they  then  en- 
treated me,  that  as  I  was  driven  so  far  to  the  westward  before  I  met  with  them,  I 
would,  at  least,  keep  on  the  same  course  to  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  where  it 
was  probable  I  might  meet  with  some  ship  or  sloop  that  they  might  hire  to  carry 
them  back  to  Canada,  from  whence  they  came. 

I  thought  this  was  but  a  reasonable  request  on  their  part,  and  therefore  I 
inclined  to  agree  to  it ;  for,  indeed,  I  considered  that  to  carry  this  whole  company 
to  the  East  Indies,  would  not  only  be  an  intolerable  severity  upon  the  poor  people, 
but  would  be  ruining  our  whole  voyage,  by  devouring  all  our  provisions ;  so  I 
thought  it  no  breach  of  charter-party,  but  what  an  unforeseen  accident  made  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  us,  and  in  which  no  one  could  say  we  were  to  blame ;  for 
the  laws  of  God  and  nature  would  have  forbid  that  we  should  refuse  to  take  up 
two  boats  full  of  people  in  such  a  distressed  condition ;  and  the  nature  of  the 
thing,  as  well  respecting  ourselves  as  the  poor  people,  obliged  us  to  set  them  on 
shore  somewhere  or  other  for  their  deliverance.  So  I  consented  that  we  would 
carry  them  to  Newfoundland,  if  wind  and  weather  would  permit ;  and  if  not,  that 
I  would  carry  them  to  Martinico,  in  the  West  Indies. 

The  wind  continued  fresh  easterly,  but  the  weather  pretty  good ;  and  as  the 
winds  had  continued  in  the  points  between  N.E.  and  S.E.  a  long  time,  we  missed 
several  opportunities  of  sending  them  to  France  ;  for  we  met  several  ships  bound 
to  Europe,  whereof  two  were  French,  from  St.  Christopher's ;  but  they  had  been 
so  long  beating  up  against  the  wind  that  they  durst  not  take  in  passengers,  for 
fear  of  wanting  provisions  for  the  voyage,  as  well  for  themselves  as  for  those  they 
should  take  in ;  so  we  were  obliged  to  go  on.  It  was  about  a  week  after  this 
that  we  made  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland ;  where,  to  shorten  my  story,  we  put 
all  our  French  people  on  board  a  bark,  which  they  hired  at  sea  there,  to  put 
them  on  shore,  and  afterwards  to  carry  them  to  France,  if  they  could  get  provisions 
to  victual  themselves  with.  When  I  say  all  the  French  went  on  shore,  I  should 
remember,  that  the  young  priest  I  spoke  of,  hearing  we  were  bound  to  the  East 
Indies,  desired  to  go  the  voyage  with  us,  and  to  be  set  on  shore  on  the  coast  of 
Coromandel ;  which  I  readily  agreed  to,  for  I  wonderfully  liked  the  man,  and  had 
very  good  reason,  as  will  appear  afterwards ;  also  four  of  the  seamen  entered 
themselves  on  our  ship,    and  proved  very  useful  fellows. 

From  hence  we  directed  our  course  for  the  West  Indies,  steering  away  S.  and 
S.  by  E.  for  about  twenty  days  together,  sometimes  little  or  no  wind  at  all ;  when 
we  met  with  another  subject  for  our  humanity  to  work  upon,  almost  as  deplorable 
as  that  before. 

It  was  in  the  latitude  of  27  degrees  5  minutes  north,  on  the  19th  day  of 
March,  1694-5,  when  we  spied  a  sail,  our  course  S.E.  and  by  S.  We  soon  per- 
ceived it  was  a  large  vessel,  and  that  she  bore  up  to  us,  but  could  not  at  first 


234  Robinson  Crusoe, 

know  what  to  make  of  her,  till,  after  coming  a  little  nearer,  we  found  she  had 
lost  her  main-topmast,  foremast,  and  bowsprit ;  and  presently  she  fired  a  gun  as  a 
signal  of  distress.  The  weather  was  pretty  good,  wind  at  N.N.W.  a  fresh  gale,  and 
we  soon  came  to  speak  with  her. 

We  found  her  a  ship  of  Bristol,  bound  home  from  Barbadoes,  but  had  been 
blown  out  of  the  road  at  Barbadoes  a  few  days  before  she  was  ready  to  sail,  by 
a  terrible  hurricane,  while  the  captain  and  chief  mate  were  both  gone  on  shore ; 
so  that,  besides  the  terror  of  the  storm,  they  were  in  an  indifferent  case  for  good 
artists  to  bring  the  ship  home.  They  had  been  already  nine  weeks  at  sea,  and 
had  met  with  another  terrible  storm,  after  the  hurricane  was  over,  which  had 
blown  them  quite  out  of  their  knowledge  to  the  westward,  and  in  which  they  had 
lost  their  masts.  They  told  us  they  expected  to  have  seen  the  Bahama  Islands, 
but  were  then  driven  away  again  to  the  south-east,  by  a  strong  gale  of  wind  at 
N.N.W.,  the  same  that  blew  now:  and  having  no  sails  to  work  the  ship  with  but 
a  main  course,  and  a  kind  of  square  sail  upon  a  jury-foremast,  which  they  had  set 
up,  they  could  not  lie  near  the  wind,  but  were  endeavoring  to  stand  away  for  the 
Canaries. 

But  that  which  was  worst  of  all,  was,  that  they  were  almost  starved  for  want 
of  provisions,  besides  the  fatigues  they  had  undergone ;  their  bread  and  flesh  were 
quite  gone ;  they  had  not  one  ounce  left  in  the  ship,  and  had  had  none  for  eleven 
days.  The  only  relief  they  had  was,  their  water  was  not  all  spent,  and  they  had 
about  half  a  barrel  of  flour  left ;  they  had  sugar  enough ;  some  succades,  or 
sweetmeats,  they  had  at  first,  but  they  were  all  devoured ;  and  they  had  seven 
casks  of  rum. 

There  was  a  youth,  and  his  mother,  and  a  maid-servant  on  board,  who  were 
passengers,  and  thinking  the  ship  was  ready  to  sail,  unhappily  came  on  board  the 
evening  before  the  hurricane  began ;  and  having  no  provisions  of  their  own  left, 
they  were  in  a  more  deplorable  condition  than  the  rest :  for  the  seamen,  being 
reduced  to  such  an  extreme  necessity  themselves,  had  no  compassion,  we  may  be 
sure,  for  the  poor  passengers ;  and  they  were,  indeed,  in  such  a  condition  that 
their  misery  is  very  hard  to  describe. 

I  had  perhaps  not  known  this  part,  if  my  curiosity  had  not  led  me  (the  weather 
being  fair,  and  the  wind  abated)  to  go  on  board  the  ship.  The  second  mate,  who 
upon  this  occasion  commanded  the  ship,  had  been  on  board  our  ship,  and  he  told 
me  they  had  three  passengers  in  the  great  cabin,  that  were  in  a  deplorable  condition : 
"  Nay,"  says  he,  "  I  believe  they  are  dead,  for  I  have  heard  nothing  of  them  for 
above  two  days :  and  I  was  afraid  to  inquire  after  them,"  said  he,  "  for  I  had 
nothing  to  relieve  them  with." 

We  immediately  applied  ourselves  to  give  them  what  relief  we  could  spare ; 
and,  indeed,  I  had  so  far  overruled  things  with  my  nephew,  that  I  would  have 
victualed  them,  though  we  had  gone  away  to  Virginia,  or  any  other  part  of  the 
coast  of  America,  to  have  supplied  ourselves ;   but  there  was  no  necessity  for  that. 

But  now  they  were  in  a  new  danger ;  for  they  were  afraid  of  eating  too  much, 
even  of  that  little  we  gave  them.     The  mate,  or  commander,  brought  six  men  with 


The  Starving  Crew.  235 

him  in  his  boat ;  but  these  poor  wretches  looked  like  skeletons,  and  were  so  weak 
that  they  could  hardly  sit  to  their  oars.  The  mate  himself  was  very  ill,  and  half- 
starved  ;  for  he  declared  he  had  reserved  nothing  from  the  men,  and  went  share 
and  share  alike  with  them  in  every  bit  they  ate. 

I  cautioned  him  to  eat  sparingly,  but  set  meat  before  him  immediately ;  and 
he  had  not  eaten  three  mouthfuls  before  he  began  to  be  sick  and  out  of  order ; 
so  he  stopped  awhile,  and  our  surgeon  mixed  him  something  with  some  broth, 
which  he  said  would  be  to  him  both  food  and  physic :  and  after  he  had  taken  it 
he  grew  better.  In  the  meantime,  I  forgot  not  the  men ;  I  ordered  victuals  to  be 
given  them,  and  the  poor  creatures  rather  devoured  than  ate  it :  they  were  so 
exceedingly  hungry  that  they  were  in  a  manner  ravenous,  and  had  no  command  of 
themselves  ;  and  two  of  them  ate  with  so  much  greediness,  that  they  were  in  danger 
of  their  lives  the  next  morning. 

The  sight  of  these  people's  distress  was  very  moving  to  me,  and  brought  to 
mind  what  I  had  a  terrible  prospect  of  at  my  first  coming  on  shore  in  my  island, 
where  I  had  never  the  least  mouthful  of  food,  or  any  prospect  of  procuring  any ; 
besides  the  hourly  apprehensions  I  had  of  being  made  the  food  of  other  creatures. 
But  all  the  while  the  mate  was  thus  relating  to  me  the  miserable  condition  of  the 
ship's  company,  I  could  not  put  out  of  my  thought  the  story  he  had  told  me  of 
the  three  poor  creatures  in  the  great  cabin,  viz.,  the  mother,  her  son,  and  the 
maid-servant,  whom  he  had  heard  nothing  of  for  two  or  three  days,  and  whom,  he 
seemed  to  confess,  they  had  wholly  neglected,  their  own  extremities  being  so  great : 
by  which  I  understood,  that  they  had  really  given  them  no  food  at  all,  and  that 
therefore  they  must  be  perished,  and  be  all  lying  dead,  perhaps,  on  the  floor  or 
deck  of  the  cabin. 

As  I  therefore  kept  the  mate,  whom  we  then  called  captain,  on  board  with  his 
men,  to  refresh  them,  so  I  also  forgot  not  the  starving  crew  that  were  left  on 
board :  but  ordered  my  own  boat  to  go  on  board  the  ship,  and,  with  my  mate 
and  twelve  men,  to  carry  them  a  sack  of  bread,  and  four  or  five  pieces  of  beef  to 
boil.  Our  surgeon  charged  the  men  to  cause  the  meat  to  be  boiled  while  they 
stayed,  and  to  keep  guard  in  the  cook-room,  to  prevent  the  men  taking  it  to  eat 
raw,  or  taking  it  out  of  the  pot  before  it  was  well  boiled,  and  then  to  give  every 
man  but  a  very  little  at  a  time :  and  by  this  caution  he  preserved  the  men,  who 
would  otherwise  have  killed  themselves  with  that  very  food  that  was  given  them  on 
purpose  to  save  their  lives. 

At  the  same  time,  I  ordered  the  mate  to  go  into  the  great  cabin,  and  see  what 
condition  the  poor  passengers  were  in ;  and  if  they  were  alive,  to  comfort  them, 
and  give  them  what  refreshment  was  proper :  and  the  surgeon  gave  him  a  large 
pitcher,  with  some  of  the  prepared  broth  which  he  had  given  the  mate  that  was  on 
board,  and  which  he  did  not  question  would  restore  them  gradually. 

I  was  not  satisfied  with  this :  but,  as  I  said  above,  having  a  great  mind  to  see 
the  scene  of  misery  which  I  knew  the  ship  itself  would  present  me  with,  in  a  more 
lively  manner  than  I  could  have  it  by  report,  I  took  the  captain  of  the  ship,  as 
we  now  called  him,  with  me  and  went  myself,  a  little  after,  in  their  boat. 


236  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  found  the  poor  men  on  board  almost  in  a  tumult,  to  get  the  victuals  out  of 
the  boiler  before  it  was  ready ;  but  the  mate  observed  his  orders,  and  kept  a  good 
guard  at  the  cook-room  door ;  and  the  men  he  placed  there,  after  using  all  possible 
persuasion  to  have  patience,  kept  them  off  by  force :  however,  he  caused  some 
biscuit  cakes  to  be  dipped  in  the  pot,  and  softened  with  the  liquor  of  the  meat, 
which  they  called  brewis  and  gave  them  every  one  some,  to  stay  their  stomachs, 
and  told  them  it  was  for  their  own  safety  that  he  was  obliged  to  give  them  but 
little  at  a  time.  But  it  was  all  in  vain ;  and  had  I  not  come  on  board,  and  their 
own  commander  and  officers  with  me,  and  with  good  words,  and  some  threats 
also  of  giving  them  no  more,  I  believe  they  would  have  broken  into  the  cook-room 
by  force,  and  torn  the  meat  out  of  the  furnace ;  for  words  are  indeed  of  very  small 
force  to  a  hungry  belly  :  however,  we  pacified  them,  and  fed  them  gradually  and 
cautiously  for  the  first,  and  the  next  time  gave  them  more,  and  at  last  filled  their  bel- 
lies, and  the  men  did  well  enough. 

But  the  misery  of  the  poor  passengers  in  the  cabin  was  of  another  nature,  and 
far  beyond  the  rest ;  for  as,  first,  the  ship's  company  had  so  little  for  themselves, 
it  was  but  too  true  that  they  had  at  first  kept  them  very  low,  and  at  last  totally 
neglected  them :  so.  that  for  six  or  seven  days  it  might  be  said  they  had  really 
no  food  at  all,  and  for  several  days  before  very  little.  The  poor  mother,  who,  as 
the  men  reported,  was  a  woman  of  sense  and  good  breeding,  had  spared  all  she 
could  so  affectionately  for  her  son,  that  at  last  she  entirely  sank  under  it ;  and 
when  the  mate  of  our  ship  went  in,  she  sat  upon  the  floor  or  deck,  with  her  back 
up  against  the  sides,  between  two  chairs,  which  were  lashed  fast,  and  her  head 
sunk  between  her  shoulders,  like  a  corpse,  though  not  quite  dead.  My  mate  said 
all  he  could  to  revive  and  encourage  her,  and  with  a  spoon  put  some  broth  into 
her  mouth.  She  opened  her  lips,  and  lifted  up  one  hand,  but  could  not  speak : 
yet  she  understood  what  he  said,  and  made  signs  to  him,  intimating  that  it  was 
too  late  for  her,  but  pointed  to  her  child,  as  if  she  would  have  said  they  should 
take  care  of  him.  However,  the  mate,  who  was  exceedingly  moved  at  the  sight, 
endeavored  to  get  some  of  the  broth  into  her  mouth,  and,  as  he  said,  got  two 
or  three  spoonfuls  down  ;  though  I  question  whether  he  could  be  sure  of  it  or 
not :   but  it  was  too  late,  and  she  died  the  same  night. 

The  youth,  who  was  preserved  at  the  price  of  his  most  affectionate  mother's 
life,  was  not  so  far  gone ;  yet  he  lay  in  a  cabin  bed,  as  one  stretched  out  with 
hardly  any  life  left  in  him.  He  had  a  piece  of  an  old  glove  in  his  mouth,  having 
eaten  up  the  rest  of  it :  however,  being  young,  and  having  more  strength  than  his 
mother,  the  mate  got  something  down  his  throat,  and  he  began  sensibly  to  revive ; 
though,  by  giving  him.  some  time  after,  but  two  or  three  spoonfuls  extraordinary, 
he  was  very  sick,  and  brought  it  up  again. 

But  the  next  care  was  the  poor  maid :  she  lay  all  along  upon  the  deck,  hard 
by  her  mistress,  and  just  like  one  that  had  fallen  down  with  an  apoplexy, 
and  struggled .  for  life.  Her  limbs  were  distorted ;  one  of  her  hands  was  clasped 
round  the  frame  of  the  chair  and  she  gripped  it  so  hard  that  we  could  not  easily 
make  her  let  it  go ;   her  other  arm  lay  over  her  head,  and  her  feet  lay  both  together, 


The  Starving  Crew. 


237 


set  fast  against  the  frame  of  the  cabin  table :  in  short,  she  lay  just  like  one  in  the 
agonies  of  death,  and  yet  she  was  alive  too. 

The  poor  creature  was  not  only  starved  with  hunger,  and  terrified  with  the 
thoughts  of  death,  but,  as  the  men  told  us  afterwards,  was  broken-hearted  for  her 
mistress,  whom  she  saw  dying  for  two  or  three  days  before,  and  whom  she  loved 
most  tenderly. 

We  knew  not  what  to  do  with  this  poor  girl ;  for  when  our  surgeon,  who  was 
a  man  of  very  great  knowledge  and  experience,  had,  with  great  application,  recovered 


"  I    FOUND    THE    POOR    MEN    ON    BOARD    ALMOST    IN    A   TUMULT"    (/.   236). 


her  as  to  life,  he  had  her  upon  his  hands  still ;   for  she  was  little  less  than  distracted 
for  a  considerable  time  after. 

Whoever  shall  read  these  memorandums  must  be  desired  to  consider,  that  visits 
at  sea  are  not  like  a  journey  into  the  country,  where  sometimes  people  stay  a  week 
or  a  fortnight  at  a  place :  our  business  was  to  relieve  this  distressed  ship's  crew, 
but  not  lie  by  for  them  ;  and  though  they  were  willing  to  steer  the  same  course 
with  us  for  some  days,  yet  we  could  carry  no  sail,  to  keep  pace  with  a  ship  that 
had  no  masts :  however,  as  their  captain  begged  of  us  to  help  him  to  set  up  a  main- 
topmast,  and  a  kind  of  topmast  to  his  jury-foremast,  we   did,  as  it  were,  lie  by 


238  Robinson  Crusoe. 

him  for  three  or  four  days ;  and  then,  having  given  him  five  barrels  of  beef,  a 
barrel  of  pork,  two  hogsheads  of  biscuit,  and  a  proportion  of  peas,  flour,  and 
what  other  things  we  could  spare ;  and  taking  three  casks  of  sugar,  some  rum, 
and  some  pieces  of  eight  from  them  for  satisfaction,  we  left  them,  taking  on 
board  with  us,  at  their  own  earnest  request,  the  youth  and  the  maid,  and  all  their 
goods. 

The  young  lad  was  about  seventeen  years  of  age ;  a  pretty,  well-bred,  modest, 
and  sensible  youth,  greatly  dejected  with  the  loss  of  his  mother,  and,  as  it  seems, 
he  had  lost  his  father  but  a  few  months  before,  at  Barbadoes :  he  begged  of  the 
surgeon  to  speak  to  me  to  take  him  out  of  the  ship ;  for  he  said  the  cruel  fellows 
had  murdered  his  mother :  and,  indeed,  so  they  had,  that  is  to  say,  passively ;  for 
they  might  have  spared  a  small  sustenance  to  the  poor  helpless  widow,  that  might 
have  preserved  her  life,  though  it  had  been  but  just  enough  to  keep  her  alive ; 
but  hunger  knows  no  friend,  no  relation,  no  justice,  no  right,  and  therefore  is 
remorseless,  and  capable  of  no  compassion. 

The  surgeon  told  him  how  far '  we  were  going,  and  that  it  would  carry  him 
away  from  all  his  friends,  and  put  him,  perhaps,  in  as  bad  circumstances  almost 
as  those  we  found  him  in,  that  is  to  say,  starving-  in  the  world.  He  said  it 
mattered  not  whither  he  went,  if  he  was  but  delivered  from  the  terrible  crew  that 
he  was  among ;  that  the  captain  (by  which  he  meant  me,  for  he  could  know 
nothing  of  my  nephew)  had  saved  his  life,  and  he  was  sure  would  not  hurt  him ; 
and  as  for  the  maid,  he  was  sure,  if  she  came  to  herself,  she  would  be  very 
thankful  •  for  it,  let  us  carry  them  where  we  would.  The  surgeon  represented  the 
case  so  affectionately  to  me  that  I  yielded,  and  we  took  them  both  on  board,  with 
all  their  goods,  except  eleven  hogsheads  of  sugar,  which  could  not  be  removed  or 
come  at ;  and  as  the  youth  had  a  bill  of  lading  for  them,  I  made  his  commander 
sign  a  writing,  obliging  himself  to  go  as  soon  as  he  came  to  Bristol,  to  one  Mr. 
Rogers,  a  merchant  there,  to  whom  the  youth  said  he  was  related,  and  to  deliver 
a  letter  which  I  wrote  to  him,  and  all  the  goods  he  had  belonging  to  the  deceased 
widow ;  which  I  suppose  was  not  done,  for  I  could  never  learn  that  the  ship  came 
to  Bristol,  but  was,  as  is  most  probable,  lost  at  sea ;  being  in  so  disabled  a  con- 
dition, and  so  far  from  any  land,  that  I  am  of  opinion  the  first  storm  she  met 
with  afterwards,  she  might  founder  in  the  sea,  for  she  was  leaky,  and  had  damage 
in  her  hold,  when  we  met  with  her. 

I  was  now  in  the  latitude  of  19  degrees  32  minutes,  and  had  hitherto  a  tolerable 
voyage  as  to  weather,  though,  at  first,  the  winds  had  been  contrary.  I  shall  trouble 
nobody  with  the  little  incidents  of  wind,  weather,  currents,  etc.,  on  the  rest  of  our 
voyage  ;  but,  to  shorten  my  story,  shall  observe  that  I  came  to  my  old  habitation, 
the  island,  on  the  10th  of  April,  1695.  It  was  with  no  small  difficulty  that  I 
found  the  place ;  for,  as  I  came  to  it,  and  went  from  it,  before,  on  the  south  and 
east  side  of  the  island,  coming  from  the  Brazils,  so  now,  coming  in  between  the 
main  and  the  island,  and  having  no  chart  for  the  coast,  nor  any  landmark,  I  did 
not  know  it  when  I  saw  it,  or  know  whether  I  saw  it  or  not. 

We  beat  about  a  great  while,  and  went  on  shore  on  several  islands  in  the  mouth 


Exploring  the  Islands.  239 

of  the  great  river  Oronooque,  but  none  for  my  purpose ;  only  this  I  learned  by  my 
coasting  the  shore,  that  I  was  under  one  great  mistake  before,  viz.,  that  the  con- 
tinent which  I  thought  I  saw  from  the  island  I  lived  in,  was  really  no  continent, 
but  a  long  island,  or  rather  a  ridge  of  islands,  reaching  from  one  to  the  other 
side  of  the  extended  mouth  of  that  great  river ;  and  that  the  savages  who  came 
to  my  island  were  not  properly  those  which  we  call  Caribbees,  but  islanders,  and 
other  barbarians  of  the  same  kind,  who  inhabited  nearer  to  our  side  than  the  rest. 

In  short,  I  visited-  several  of  these  islands  to  no  purpose ;  some  I  found  were 
inhabited,  and  some  were  not ;  on  one  of  them  1  found  some  Spaniards,  and 
thought  they  had  lived  there ;  but  speaking  with  them,  found  they  had  a  sloop 
lying  in  a  small  creek  hard  by,  and  came  thither  to  make  salt,  and  to  catch  some 
pearl-mussels  if  they  could ;  but  that  they  belonged  to  the  Isle  de  Trinidad,  which 
lay  farther  north,  in  the  latitude  of  1  o  and  1 1  degrees. 

Thus,  coasting  from  one  island  to  another,  sometimes  with  the  ship,  some- 
times with  the  Frenchmen's  shallop,  which  we  had  found  a  convenient  boat,  and 
therefore  kept  her  with  their  very  good  will,  at  length  I  came  fair  on  the  south 
side  of  my  island,  and  presently  knew  the  very  countenance  of  the  place :  so  I 
brought  the  ship  safe  to  an  anchor,  broadside  with  the  little  creek  where  my  old 
habitation  was. 

As  soon  as  I  saw  the  place,  I  called  for  Friday,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew 
where  he  was?  He  looked  about  a  little,  and,  presently  clapping  his  hands,  cried, 
"Oh,  yes;  oh,  there — oh,  yes;  oh,  there!"  pointing  to  our  old  habitation,  and  fell 
dancing  and  capering  like  a  mad  fellow ;  and  I  had  much  ado  to  keep  him  from 
jumping  into  the  sea,  to  swim  ashore  to  the  place. 

"Well,  Friday,"  says  I,  "do  you  think  we  shall  find  anybody  here  or  no?  and 
do  you  think  we  shall  see  your  father?  "  The  fellow  stood  mute  as  a  stock  a 
good  while ;  but,  when  I  named  his  father,  the  poor  affectionate  creature  looked 
dejected,  and  I  could  see  the  tears  run  down  his  face  very  plentifully.  "  What 
is  the  matter,  Friday?"  said  I;  "are  you  troubled  because  you  may  see  your 
father?"  "No,  no,"  says  he,  shaking  his  head,  "no  see  him  more:  no,  never 
more  see  him  again."  "Why  so,"  said  I,  "Friday?  how  do  you  know  that?" 
"  Oh  no,  oh  no,"  says  Friday;  "he  long  ago  die,  long  ago;  he  much  old  man." 
"Well,  well,"  says  I,  "Friday,  you  don't  know;  but  shall  we  see  any  one  else, 
then?"  The  fellow,  it  seems,  had  better  eyes  than  I,  and  he  points  to  the  hill 
just  above  my  old  house ;  and  though  we  lay  half  a  league  off,  he  cries  out, 
"Me  see,  me  see,  yes,  yes,  me  see  much  man  there,  and  there,  and  there!"  I 
looked,  but  I  saw  nobody — no,  not  with  a  perspective  glass,  which  was,  I  suppose, 
because  I  could  not  hit  the  place ;  for  the  fellow  was  right,  as  I  found  upon 
inquiry  the  next  day ;  and  there  were  five  or  six  men  all  together,  who  stood  to 
look  at  the  ship,  not  knowing  what  to  think  of  us. 

As  soon  as  Friday  told  me  he  saw  people,  I  caused  the  English  ancient  to 
be  spread,  and  fired  three  guns,  to  give  them  notice  we  were  friends ;  and  in  about 
half  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  we  perceived  a  smoke  arise  from  the  side  of  the 
creek ;   so  I  immediately  ordered  a  boat  out,  taking  Friday  with  me ;   and,  hanging 


240 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


out  a  white  flag,  or  a  flag  of  truce,  I  went  directly  on  shore,  taking  with  me  the 
young  friar  I  mentioned,  to  whom  I  had  told  the  story  of  my  living  there,  and 
the  manner  of  it,  and  every  particular,  both  of  myself  and  those  I  left  there,  and 
who  was,  on  that  account,  extremely  desirous  to  go  with  me.  We  had,  besides, 
about  sixteen  men  well  armed,  if  we  had  found  any  new  guests  there  which  we 
did  not  know  of ;   but  we  had  no  need  of  weapons. 

As  we  went  on  shore  upon  the  tide  of  flood,  near  high  water,  we  rowed  directly 
into  the  creek ;  and  the  first  man  I  fixed  my  eye  upon  was  the  Spaniard  whose 
life  I  had  saved,  and  whom  I  knew  by  his  face  perfectly  well :    as,  to  his  habit, 


MryJ^ff- ' 


"i    CAME    FAIR    ON    THE    SOUTH    SIDE    OF    MY    ISLAND"    (/>.   239). 


I  shall  describe  it  afterwards.  I  ordered  nobody  to  go  on  shore  at  first  but  myself ; 
but  there  was  no  keeping  Friday  in  the  boat,  for  the  affectionate  creature  had  spied 
his  father  at  a  distance,  a  good  way  off  the  Spaniards,  where,  indeed,  I  saw  nothing 
of  him ;  and  if  they  had  not  let  him  go  ashore,  he  would  have  jumped  into  the 
sea.  He  was  no  sooner  on  shore,  but  he  flew  away  to  his  father,  like  an  arrow 
out  of  a  bow.  It  would  have  made  any  man  shed  tears,  in  jpite  of  the  firmest 
resolution,  to  have  seen  the  first  transports  of  this  poor  fellow's  joy  when  he  came 
to  his  father :  how  he  embraced  him,  kissed  him,  stroked  his  face,  took  him  up 
in  his  arms,  set  him  down  upon  a  tree,  and  lay  down  by  him  ;  then  stood  and 
looked  at  him,  as  any  one  would  look  at  a  strange  picture,  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  together ;  then  lay  down  on  the  ground,  and  stroked  his  legs,  and  kissed 
them,  and  then  got  up  again,  and  stared  at  him ;  one  would  have  thought  the 
fellow  bewitched.     But  it  would  have  made  a  dog  laugh  the  next  day  to  see  how 


"DO    YOU    NUT   KNOW   ME?" 


(See  p.  24 1 . 1 


Ancient  Haunts.  241 

his  passion  ran  out  another  way :  in  the  morning,  he  walked  along  the  shore,  and 
again  with  his  father,  several  hours,  always  leading  him  by  the  hand,  as  if  he  had 
been  a  lady ;  and  every  now  and  then  he  would  come  to  the  boat  to  fetch  some- 
thing or  other  for  him,  either  a  lump  of  sugar,  a  dram,  a  biscuit  cake,  or  something 
or  other  that  was  good.  In  the  afternoon  his  frolics  ran  another  way ;  for  then 
he  would  set  the  old  man  down  upon  the  ground,  and  dance  about  him,  and  make 
a  thousand  antic  postures  and  gestures ;  and  all  the  while  he  did  this  he  would 
be  talking  to  him,  and  telling  him  one  story  or  another  of  his  travels,  and  of 
what  happened  to  him  abroad,  to  divert  him.  In  short,  if  the  same  filial  affection 
was  to  be  found  in  Christians  to  their  parents,  in  our  part  of  the  world,  one 
would  be  tempted  to  say  there  would  hardly  have  been  any  need  of  the  fifth 
commandment. 

But  this  is  a  digression :  I  return  to  my  landing.  It  would  be  endless  to  take 
notice  of  all  the  ceremonies  and  civilities  that  the  Spaniards  received  me  with. 
The  first  Spaniard,  whom,  as  I  said,  I  knew  very  well,  was  he  whose  life  I  had 
saved.  He  came  towards  the  boat,  attended  by  one  more,  carrying  a  flag  of  truce 
also ;  and  he  not  only  did  not  know  me  at  first,  but  he  had  no  thoughts,  no 
notion,  of  its  being  me  that  was  come,  till  I  spoke  to  him.  "  Seignior,"  said  I, 
in  Portuguese,  "do  you  not  know  me?"  At  which  he  spoke  not  a  word,  but, 
giving  his  musket  to  the  man  that  was  with  him,  threw  his  arms  abroad,  and  saying 
something  in  Spanish  that  I  did  not  perfectly  hear,  came  forward  and  embraced 
me,  telling  me  he  was  inexcusable  not  to  know  that  face  again  that  he  had  once 
seen  as  if  an  angel  from  Heaven,  sent  to  save  his  life :  he  said  abundance  of 
very  handsome  things,  as  a  well-bred  Spaniard  always  knows  how ;  and  then, 
beckoning  to  the  person  that  attended  him,  bade  him  go  and  call  out  his  comrades. 
He  then  asked  me  if  I  would  walk  to  my  old  habitation,  where  he  would  give  me 
possession  of  my  own  house  again,  and  where  I  should  see  they  had  made  but 
mean  improvements ;  so  I  walked  along  with  him ;  but,  alas !  I  could  no  more 
find  the  place  again  than  if  I  had  never  been  there ;  for  they  had  planted  so 
many  trees,  and  placed  them  in  such  a  position,  so  thick  and  close  to  one  another, 
and  in  ten  years'  time  they  were  grown  so  big,  that,  in  short,  the  place  was  in- 
accessible, except  by  such  windings  and  blind  ways  as  they  themselves  only,  who 
made  them,  could  find. 

I  asked  them  what  put  them  upon  all  these  fortifications :  he  told  me  I  would 
say  there  was  need  enough  of  it,  when  they  had  given  me  an  account  how  they 
had  passed  their  time  since  their  arriving  in  the  island,  especially  after  they  had 
the  misfortune  to  find  that  I  was  gone.  He  told  me  he  could  not  but  have  some 
satisfaction  in  my  good  fortune,  when  he  heard  that  I  was  gone  in  a  good  ship, 
and  to  my  satisfaction  ;  and  that  he  had  oftentimes  a  strong  persuasion  that  one  time 
or  other  he  should  see  me  again ;  but  nothing  that  ever  befell  him  in  his  life,  he 
said,  was  so  surprising  and  afflicting  to  him  at  first,  as  the  disappointment  he  was 
under  when  he  came  back  to  the  island  and  found  I  was  not  there. 

As  to  the  three  barbarians  (so  he  called  them)  that  were  left  behind,  and  of 
whom,  he  said,  he  had  a  long  story  to  tell  me,  the   Spaniards   all  thought   them- 


242  Robinson  Crusoe. 

selves  much  better  among  the  savages,  only  that  their  number  was  so  small : 
"  and,"  says  he,  "  had  they  been  strong  enough,  we  had  been  all  long  ago  in 
purgatory ;  "  and  with  that  he  crossed  himself  on  the  breast.  "  But,  sir,"  says  he, 
"I  hope  you  will  not  be  displeased  when  I  shall  tell  you  how,  forced  by  necessity, 
we  were  obliged,  for  our  own  preservation,  to  disarm  them,  and  make  them  our 
subjects,  as  they  would  not  be  content  with  being  moderately  our  masters,  but 
would  be  our  murderers."  I  answered,  I  was  afraid  of  it  when  I  left  them  there, 
and  nothing  troubled  me  at  my  parting  from  the  island  but  that  they  were  not 
come  back,  that  I  might  have  put  them  in  possession  of  everything  first,  and  left 
the  others  in  a  state  of  subjection,  as  they  deserved;  but  if  they  had  reduced  them 
to  it,  I  was  very  glad,  and  should  be  very  far  from  finding  any  fault  with  it :  for  I 
knew  they  were  a  parcel  of  refractory,  ungovernable  villains,  and  were  fit  for  any 
manner  of  mischief. 

While  I  was  saying  this,  the  man  came  whom  he  had  sent  back,  and  with  him 
eleven  more.  In  the  dress  they  were  in,  it  was  impossible  to  guess  what  nation 
they  were  of ;  but  he  made  all  clear  both  to  them  and  to  me.  First  he  turned 
to  me,  and  pointing  to  them,  said,  "  These,  sir,  are  some  of  the  gentlemen  who 
owe  their  lives  to  you;"  and  then  turning  to  them,  and  pointing  to  me,  he  let 
them  know  who  I  was ;  upon  which  they  all  came  up,  one  by  one,  not  as  if  they 
had  been  sailors,  and  ordinary  fellows,  and  the  like,  but  really  as  if  they  had  been 
ambassadors  or  noblemen,  and  I  a  monarch  or  great  conqueror:  their  behavior 
was,  to  the  last  degree,  obliging  and  courteous,  and  yet  mixed  with  a  manly, 
majestic  gravity,  which  very  well  became  them ;  and,  in  short,  they  had  so  much 
more  manners  than  I,  that  I  scarce  knew  how  to  receive  their  civilities,  much  less 
how  to  return  them  in  kind. 

The  history  of  their  coming  to,  and  conduct  in,  the  island,  after  my  going 
away,  is  so  very  remarkable,  and  has  so  many  incidents,  which  the  former  part  of 
my  relation  will  help  to  understand,  and  which  will,  in  most  of  the  particulars, 
refer  to  the  account  I  have  already  given,  that  I  cannot  but  commit  them,  with 
great  delight,  to  the  reading  of  those  that  come  after  me. 

I  shall  no  longer  trouble  the  story  with  a  relation  in  the  first  person,  which 
will  put  me  to  the  expense  of  ten  thousand  "said  I's,"  and  "  said  he's," "and  "he 
told  me's,"  and  "  I  told  him's,"  and  the  like ;  but  I  shall  collect  the  facts 
historically,  as  near  as  I  can  gather  them  out  of  my  memory,  from  what  they 
related  to  me,  and  from  what  I  met  with  in  my  conversing  with  them,  and  with 
the  place. 

In  order  to  do  this  succinctly,  and  as  intelligibly  as  I  can,  I  must  go  back  to 
the  circumstances  in  which  I  left  the  island,  and  in  which  the  persons  were  of 
whom  I  am  to  speak.  And  first,  it  is  necessary  to  repeat  that  I  had  sent  away 
Friday's  father  and  the  Spaniard  (the  two  whose  lives  I  had  rescued  from  the 
savages)  in  a  large  canoe  to  the  main,  as  I  then  thought  it,  to  fetch  over  the 
Spaniard's  companions  that  he  left  behind  him,  in  order  to  save  them  from  the 
like  calamity  that  he  had  been  in,  and  in  order  to  succor  them  for  the  present ;  and 
that,  if  possible,  we  might  together  find  some  way  for  our  deliverance  afterwards. 


The  Spaniard's  Tale.  243 

When  I  sent  them  away,  I  had  no  visible  appearance  of,  or  the  least  room 
to  hope  for,  my  own  deliveiance,  any  more  than  I  had  twenty  years  before — much 
less  had  I  any  foreknowledge  of  what  afterwards  happened,  I  mean,  of  an  English 
ship  coming  on  shore  there  to  fetch  me  off ;  and  it  could  not  be  but  a  very  great 
surprise  to  them,  when  they  came  back,  not  only  to  find  that  I  was  gone,  but  to 
find  three  strangers  left  on  the  spot,  possessed  of  all  that  I  had  left  behind  me, 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  their  own. 

The  first  thing,  however,  which  I  inquired  into,  that  I  might  begin  where  I 
left  off,  was  of  their  own  part ;  and  I  desired  the  Spaniard  would  give  me  a 
particular  account  of  his  voyage  back  :to  his  countrymen  with  the  boat,  when  I 
sent  him  to  fetch  them  over.  He  told  me  there  was  little  variety  in  that  part, 
for  nothing  remarkable  happened  to  them  on  the  way,  having  had  very  calm 
weather,  and  a  smooth  sea.  As  for  his  countrymen,  it  could  not  be  doubted,  he 
said,  but  that  they  were  overjoyed  to  see  him  (it  seems  he  was  the  principal  man 
among  them,  the  captain  of  the  vessel  they  had  been  shipwrecked  in  having  been 
dead  some  time) :  they  were,  he  said,  the  more  surprised  to  see  him  because  they 
knew  he  was  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  savages,  who,  they  were  satisfied,  would 
devour  him,  as  they  did  all  the  rest  of  their  prisoners;  that  when  he  told  them 
the  story  of  his  deliverance,  and  in  what  manner  he  was  furnished  for  carrying 
them  away,  it  was  like  a  dream  to  them,  and  their  astonishment,  he  said,  was 
somewhat  like  that  of  Joseph's  brethren,  when  he  told  them  who  he  was,  and  the 
story  of  his  exaltation  in  Pharaoh's  court ;  but  when  he  showed  them  the  arms, 
the  powder,  the  ball,  and  provisions,  that  he  brought  them  for  their  journey  or 
voyage,  they  were  restored  to  themselves,  took  a  just  share  of  the  joy  of  their 
deliverance,  and  immediately  prepared  to  come  away  with  him. 

Their  first  business  was  to  get  canoes ;  and  in  this  they  were  obliged  not  to 
stick  so  much  upon  the  honesty  of  it,  but  to  trespass  upon  their  friendly  savages, 
and  to  borrow  two  large  canoes,  or  periaguas,  on  pretense  of  going  out  a-fishing, 
or  for  pleasure.  In  these  they  came  away  the  next  morning.  It  seems  they  wanted 
no  time  to  get  themselves  ready ;  for  they  had  no  baggage,  neither  clothes,  nor 
provisions,  nor  anything  in  the  world  but  what  they  had  on  them,  and  a  few  roots 
to  eat,  of  which  they  used  to  make  their  bread. 

They  were  in  all  three  weeks  absent ;  and  in  that  time,  unluckily  for  them,  I 
had  the  occasion  offered  for  my  escape,  as  I  mentioned  in  the  other  part,  and  to 
get  off  from  the  island,  leaving  three  of  the  most  impudent,  hardened,  ungovern- 
able, disagreeable  villains  behind  me,  that  any  man  could  desire  to  meet  with ;  to 
the  poor  Spaniards'  great  grief  and  disappointment,  you  may  be  sure. 

The  only  just  thing  the  rogues  did  was  that  when  the  Spaniards  came  ashore, 
they  gave  my' letter  to  them,  and  gave  them  provisions,  and  other  relief,  as  I  had 
ordered  them  to  do  ;  also  they  gave  them  the  long  paper  of  directions  which  I 
had  left  with  them,  containing  the  particular  methods  which  I  took  for  managing 
every  part  of  my  life  there ;  the  way  I  baked  my  bread,  bred  up  tame  goats,  and 
planted  my  corn  ;  how  I  cured  my  grapes,  made  my  pots,  and,  in  a  word,  every- 
thing I  did ;   all  this  being  written  down,  they  gave  to  the  Spaniards  (two  of  whom 


244  Robixsox  Crusoe. 

understood  English  well  enough) :  nor  did  they  refuse  to  accommodate  the  Spaniards 
with  anything  else,  for  they  agreed  very  well  for  some  time.  They  gave  them  an 
equal  admission  into  the  house,  or  cave,  and  they  began  to  live  very  sociably ; 
and  the  head  Spaniard,  who  had  seen  pretty  much  of  my  methods,  and  Friday's 
father  together,  managed  all  their  affairs ;  but  as  for  the  Englishmen,  they  did'  noth- 
ing but  ramble  about  the  island,  shoot  parrots,  and  catch  tortoises ;  and  when  they 
came  home  at  night,  the  Spaniards  provided  their  suppers  for  them. 

The  Spaniards  would  have  been  satisfied  with  this,  had  the  others  but  let  them 
alone,  which,  however,  they  could  not  find  in  their  hearts  to  do  long ;  but,  like  the 
dog  in  the  manger,  they  would  not  eat  themselves,  neither  would  they  let  the 
others  eat.  The  differences,  nevertheless,  were '  at  first  but  trivial  and  such  as  are 
not  worth  relating,  but  at  last  it  broke  out  into  open  Avar :  and  it  began  with 
all  the  rudeness  and  insolence  that  can  be  imagined — without  reason,  without 
provocation,  contrary  to  nature,  and,  indeed,  to  common  sense  ;  and  though,  it  is 
true,  the  first  relation  of  it  came  from  the  Spaniards  themselves,  whom  I  may 
call  the  accusers,  yet  when  I  came  to  examine  the  fellows,  they  could  not  deny  a 
word  of  it. 

But  before  I  come  to  the  particulars  of  this  part,  I  must  supply  a  defect  in 
my  former  relation;  and  this  was,  I  forgot  to  set  down,  among  the  rest,  that  just 
as  we  were  weighing  the  anchor,  to  set  sail,  there  happened  a  little  quarrel  on 
board  of  our  ship,  which  I  was  once  afraid  would  have  turned  to  a  second  mutiny ; 
nor  was  it  appeased  till  the  captain,  rousing  up  his  courage,  and  taking  us  all  to 
his  assistance,  parted  them  by  force,  and,  making  two  of  the  most  refractory  fellows 
prisoners,  he  laid  them  in  irons :  and  as  they  had  been  active  in  the  former  dis- 
orders, and  let  fall  some  ugly,  dangerous  words,  the  second  time  he  threatened  to 
carry  them  in  irons  to  England,  and  have  them  hanged  there  for  mutiny,  and 
running  away  with  the  ship.  This,  it  seems,  though  the  captain  did  not  intend  to 
do  it,  frightened  some  other  men  in  the  ship  ;  and  some  of  them  had  put  it  into 
the  heads  of  the  rest,  that  the  captain  only  gave  them  good  words  for  the  present, 
till  they  should  come  to  some  English  port,  and  that  then  they  should  be  all  put 
into  gaol,  and  tried  for  their  lives.  The  mate  got  intelligence  of  this,  and  ac- 
quainted us  with  it ;  upon  which  it  was  desired  that  I,  who  still  passed  for  a  great 
man  among  them,  should  go  down  with  the  mate,  and  satisfy  the  men,  and  tell 
them  that  they  might  be  assured,  if  they  behaved  well  the  rest  of  the  voyage,  all 
they  had  done  for  the  time  past  should  be  pardoned.  So  I  went,  and  after  passing 
my  honor's  word  to  them,  they  appeared  easy,  and  the  more  so  when  I  caused 
the  two  men  that  were  in  irons  to  be  released  and  forgiven. 

But  this  mutiny  had  brought  us  to  an  anchor  for  that  night ;  the  wind  also 
falling  calm  next  morning,  we  found  that  our  two  men  who  had  been  laid  in  irons 
had  stolen  each  of  them  a  musket,  and  some  other  weapons  (what  powder  or  shot 
they  had  we  knew  not),  and  had  taken  the  ship's  pinnace,  which  was  not  yet 
hauled  up,  and  run  away  with  her  to  their  companions  in  roguerv  on  shore.  As 
soon  as  we  found  this,  I  ordered  the  long-boat  on  shore  with  twelve  men  and  the 
mate,  and  away  they  went  to  seek  the  rogues ;   but  they  could  neither  find  them 


A  Mutiny. 


245 


nor  any  of  the  rest,  for  they  all  fled  into  the  woods  when  they  saw  the  boat 
coming  on  shore.  The  mate  was  at  once  resolved,  in  justice  to  their  roguery,  to  have 
destroyed  their  plantations,  burned  all  their  household  stuff  and  furniture,  and  left 
them  to  shift  without  it ;  but  having  no  orders,  he  let  it  all  alone,  left  everything 
as  he  found  it,  and,  bringing  the    pinnace    away,  came  on  board  without   them. 


"bade  them  stand  off"  {p.  246). 


These  two  men  made  their  number  five  ;  but  the  other  three  villains  were  so  much 
more  wicked  than  they,  that  after  they  had  been  two  or  three  days  together,  they 
turned  the  two  new-comers  out  of  doors  to  shift  for  themselves,  and  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  them ;  nor  could  they,  for  a  good  while,  be  persuaded  to  give 
them  any  food :   as  for  the  Spaniards,  they  were  not  yet  come. 

AVhen  the  Spaniards  came  first  on  shore,  the  business  began  to  go  forward : 
the  Spaniards  would  have  persuaded  the  three  English  brutes  to  have  taken  in 
their  countrymen  again,  that,  as  they  said,  they  might  be  all  one  family ;  but  they 
would  not  hear  of  it :   so  the  two  poor  fellows  lived  by  themselves ;    and  finding 


246  Robinson  Crusoe. 

nothing  but  industry  and  application  would  make  them  live  comfortably,  they 
pitched  their  tents  on  the  north  shore  of  the  island,  but  a  little  more  to  the 
west,  to  be  out  of  danger  of  the  savages,  who  always  landed  on  the  east  parts  of 
the  island. 

Here  they  built  them  two  huts,  one  to  lodge  in,  and  the  other  to  lay  up  their 
magazines  and  stores  in ;  and  the  Spaniards  having  given  them  some  corn  for 
seed,  and  some  of  the  peas  which  I  had  left  them,  they  dug,  planted,  and  inclosed, 
after  the  pattern  I  had  set  for  them  all,  and  began  to  live  pretty  well.  Their 
first  crop  of  corn  was  on  the  ground ;  and  though  it  was  but  a  little  bit  of  land 
which  they  had  dug  up  at  first,  having  had  but  a  little  time,  yet  it  was  enough 
to  relieve  them,  and  find  them  with  bread  and  other  eatables ;  and  one  of  the 
fellows  being  the  cook's  mate  of  the  ship,  was  very  ready  at  making  soup, 
puddings,  and  such  other  preparations  as  the  rice  and  the  milk,  and  such  little 
flesh  as  they  got,  furnished  him  to  do. 

They  were  going  on  in  this  little  thriving  position  when  the  three  unnatural 
rogues,  their  own  countrymen  too,  in  mere  humor,  and  to  insult  them,  came  and 
bullied  them,  and  told  them  the  island  was  theirs ;  that  the  governor,  meaning  me, 
had  given  them  the  possession  of  it,  and  nobody  else  had  any  right  to  it ;  and 
that  they  should  build  no  houses  upon  their  ground,  unless  they  would  pay  rent 
for  them. 

The  two  men,  thinking  they  were  jesting  at  first,  asked  them  to  come  in  and 
sit  down,  and  see  what  fine  houses  they  were  that  they  had  built,  and  to  tell 
them  what  rent  they  demanded ;  and  one  of  them  merrily  said,  if  they  were  the 
ground-landlords,  he  hoped,  if  they  built  tenements  upon  their  land,  and  made  im- 
provements, they  would,  according  to  the  custom  of  landlords,  grant  a  long  lease : 
and  desired  they  would  get  a  scrivener  to  draw  the  writings.  One  of  the  three, 
cursing  and  raging,  told  them  they  should  see  they  were  not  in  jest ;  and  going  to 
a  little  place  at  a  distance,  where  the  honest  men  had  made  a  fire  to  dress  their 
victuals,  he  takes  a  firebrand,  and  claps  it  to  the  outside  of  their  hut,  and  very 
fairly  set  it  on  fire  ;  and  it  would  have  been  all  burned  down  in  a  few  minutes,  if 
one  of  the  two  had  not  run  to  the  fellow,  thrust  him  away,  and  trod  the  fire  out 
with  his  feet,  and  that  not  without  some  difficulty  too. 

The  fellow  was  in  such  a  rage  at  the  honest  man's  thrusting  him  away,  that  he 
returned  upon  him,  with  a  pole  he  had  in  his  hand,  and  had  not  the  man  avoided 
the  blow  very  nimbly,  and  run  into  the  hut,  he  had  ended  his  days  at  once.  His 
comrade,  seeing  the  danger  they  were  both  in,  ran  in  after  him,  and  immediately 
they  came  both  out  with  their  muskets,  and  the  man  that  was  first  struck  at  with 
the  pole  knocked  the  fellow  down  that  began  the  quarrel,  with  the  stock  of  his 
musket,  and  that  before  the  other  two  could  come  to  help  him ;  and  then,  seeing 
the  rest  come  at  them,  they  stood  together,  and  presenting  the  other  ends  of  their 
pieces  to  them,  bade  them  stand  off.. 

The  others  had  fire-arms  with  them  too  ;  but  one  of  the  two  honest  men,  bolder 
than  his  comrade,  and  made  desperate  by  his  danger,  told  them,  if  they  offered  to 
move  hand  or  foot,  they  were  dead  men,  and  boldly  commanded  them  to  lay  down 


Quarrels.  247 

their  arms.  They  did  not,  indeed,  lay  down  their  arms,  but  seeing  him  so  resolute, 
it  brought  them  to  a  parley,  and  they  consented  to  take  their  wounded  man  with 
them  and  be  gone ;  and,  indeed,  it  seems  the  fellow  was  wounded  sufficiently  with 
the  blow.  However,  they  were  much  in  the  wrong,  since  they  had  the  advantage, 
that  they  did  not  disarm  them  effectually,  as  they  might  have  done,  and  have  gone 
immediately  to  the  Spaniards,  and  given  them  an  account  how  the  rogues  had 
treated  them ;  for  the  three  villains  studied  nothing  but  revenge,  and  every  day 
gave  them  some  intimation  that  they  did  so. 

But  not  to  crowd  this  part  with  an  account  of  the  lesser  part  of  their  rogueries, 
such  as  treading  down  their  corn ;  shooting  three  young  kids  and  a  she-goat,  which 
the  poor  men  had  got  to  breed  up  tame  for  their  store ;  and,  in  a  word,  plaguing 
them  night  and  day  in  this  manner ;  it  forced  the  two  men  to  such  a  desperation, 
that  they  resolved  to  fight  them  all  three,  the  first  time  they  had  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity. In  order  to  do  this,  they  resolved  to  go  to  the  castle,  as  they  called  it 
(that  was  my  old  dwelling),  where  the  three  rogues  and  the  Spaniards  all  lived 
together  at  that  time,  intending  to  have  a  fair  battle,  and  the  Spaniards  should 
stand  by  to  see  fair  play ;  so  they  got  up  in  the  morning  before  day,  and  came  to 
the  place,  and  called  the  Englishmen  by  their  names,  telling  a  Spaniard,  that  an- 
swered, that  they  wanted  to  speak  with  them. 

It  happened  that  the  day  before,  two  of  the  Spaniards,  having  been  in  the 
woods,  had  seen  one  of  the  two  Englishmen,  whom,  for  distinction,  I  called  the 
honest  men,  and  he  had  made  a  sad  complaint  to  the  Spaniards  of  the  barbarous 
usage  they  had  met  with  from  their  three  countrymen,  and  how  they  had  ruined 
their  plantation,  and  destroyed  their  corn  that  they  had  labored  so  hard  to  bring 
forward,  and  killed  the  milch-goat  and  their  three  kids,  which  was  all  they  had 
provided  for  their  sustenance  ;  and  that  if  he  and  his  friends,  meaning  the  Spaniards, 
did  not  assist  them  again,  they  should  be  starved.  When  the  Spaniards  came 
home  at  night,  and  they  were  all  at  supper,  one  of  them  took  the  freedom  to 
reprove  the  three  Englishmen,  though  in  very  gentle  and  mannerly  terms,  and 
asked  them  how  they  could  be  so  cruel,  they  being  harmless,  inoffensive  fellows ; 
that  they  were  putting  themselves  in  a  way  to  subsist  by  their  labor,  and  that  it 
had  cost  them  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  bring  things  to  such  perfection  as  they  were 
then  in. 

One  of  the  Englishmen  returned  very  briskly,  "What  had  they  to  do  there? 
that  they  came  on  shore  without  leave ;  and  that  they  should  not  plant  or  build 
upon  the  island ;  it  was  none  of  their  ground."  "  Why,"  says  the  Spaniard,  very 
calmly,  "  Seignior  Inglese,  they  must  not  starve."  The  Englishman  replied,  like  a 
rough-hewn  tarpauling,  "  They  might  starve ;  they  should  not  plant  nor  build  in 
that  place."  "  But  what  must  they  do  then,  seignior?  "  said  the  Spaniard.  Another 
of  the  brutes  returned,  "  Do?  they  should  be  servants,  and  work  for  them.  "  "But 
how  can  you  expect  that  of  them?"  says  the  Spaniard;  "they  are  not  bought 
with  your  money ;  you  have  no  right  to  make  them  servants."  The  Englishman 
answered,  "  The  island  was  theirs ;  the  governor  had  given  it  to  them,  and  no  man 
had  anything  to   do   there  but   themselves ;  "  and  with  that,   swore  by   his   Maker 


248 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


that  they  would  go  and  burn  all  their  new  huts ;  they  should  build  none  upon 
their  land.  "  Why,  seignior,"  says  the  Spaniard,  "  by  the  same  rule,  we  must  be 
your  servants  too."  "Ay,"  says  the  bold  clog,  "and  so  you  shall,  too,  before  we 
have  done  with  you ;  "  mixing  two  or  three  oaths  in  the  proper  intervals  of  his 
speech.  The  Spaniard  only  smiled  at  that,  and  made  him  no  answer.  However,  this 
little  discourse  had  heated  them ;    and  starting  up,  one  says  to  the  other  (I  think 


"with  one  blow  of  his  fist  knocked  him  down"  (/.  249J. 


it  was  he  they  called  Will  Atkins),  "  Come,  Jack,  let's  go,  and  have  t'other  brush 
with  them;  we'll  demolish  their  castle,  I'll  warrant  you;  they  shall  plant  no  colony 
in  our  dominions." 

Upon  this,  they  went  all  trooping  away,  with  every  man  a  gun,  a  pistol,  and  a 
sword,  and  muttered  some  insolent  things  among  themselves,  of  what  they  would 
do  to  the  Spaniards  too,  when  opportunity  offered ;  but  the  Spaniards,  it  seems, 
did  not  so  perfectly  understand  them  as  to  know  all  the  particulars,  only  that,  in 
general,  they  threatened  them  hard  for  taking  the  two  Englishmen's  part. 

Whither  they  went,  or  how  they  bestowed  their  time  that  evening,  the  Spaniards 
said  they  did  not  know ;  but  it  seems  they  wandered  about  the  country,  part  of 
the  night,  and  then,  lying  down  in  the  place  which  I  used  to  call  my  bower,  they 


A  Knock-Down  Blow. 


249 


were  weary  and  overslept  themselves.  The  case  was  this :  they  had  resolved  to 
stay  till  midnight,  and  so  to  take  the  two  poor  men  when  they  were  asleep,  and  as 
they  acknowledged  afterwards,  intended  to  set  fire  to  their  huts  while  they  were  in 
them,  and  either  burn  them  there,  or  murder  them  as  they  came  out.  As 
malice  seldom  sleeps  very  sound,  it  was  very  strange  they  should  not  have  been 
kept  awake. 

However,  as  the  two  men  had  also  a  design  upon  them,  as  I  have  said,  though 
a  much  fairer  one  than  that  of  burning  and  murdering,  it  happened,  and  very 
luckily  for  them  all,  that  they  were  up  and  gone  abroad  before  the  bloody-minded 
rogues  came  to  their  huts. 

When  they  came  there,  and  found  the  men  gone,  Atkins,  who,  it  seems,  was 
the  forwardest  man,  called  out  to  his  comrade,  "  Ha,  Jack,  here's  the  nest,  but  the 
birds  are  flown."  They  mused  awhile,  to  think  what  should  be  the  occasion  of 
their  being  gone  abroad  so  soon,  and  suggested  presently  that  the  Spaniards  had 
given  them  notice  of  it ;  and  with  that  they  shook  hands,  and  swore  to  one 
another  that  they  would  be  revenged  of  the  Spaniards.  As  soon  as  they  had  made 
this  bloody  bargain,  they  fell  to  work  with  the  poor  men's  habitation ;  they  did  not 
set  fire,  indeed,  to  anything,  but  they  pulled  down  both  their  houses,  and  pulled 
them  so  limb  from  limb  that  they  left  not  the  least  stick  standing,  or  scarce  any 
sign  on  the  ground  where  they  stood ;  they  tore  all  their  little  collected  household 
stuff  in  pieces,  and  threw  everything  about  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  poor  men 
afterwards  found  some  of  their  things  a  mile  off  their  habitation.  When  they  had 
done  this,  they  pulled  up  all  the  young  trees  which  the  poor  men  had  planted ; 
pulled  up  an  inclosure  they  had  made  to  secure  their  cattle  and  their  corn  ;  and, 
in  a  word,  sacked  and  plundered  everything  as  completely  as  a  horde  of  Tartars 
would  have  done. 

The  two  men  were,  at  this  juncture,  gone  to  find  them  out,  and  had  resolved 
to  fight  them  wherever  they  had  been,  though  they  were  but  two  to  three ;  so  that, 
had  they  met,  there  certainly  would  have  been  bloodshed  among  them,  for  they 
were  all  very  stout,  resolute  fellows,  to  give  them  their  due. 

But  Providence  took  more  care  to  keep  them  asunder  than  they  themselves 
could  do  to  meet ;  for,  as  if  they  had  dogged  one  another,  when  the  three  were 
gone  thither,  the  two  were  here  ;  and  afterwards,  when  the  two  went  back  to  find 
them,  the  three  were  come  to  the  old  habitation  again :  we  shall  see  their  different 
conduct  presently.  When  the  three  came  back  like  furious  creatures,  flushed  with 
the  rage  which  the  work  they  had  been  about  had  put  them  into,  they  came  up 
to  the  Spaniards,  and  told  them  what  they  had  done,  by  way  of  scoff  and  bravado ; 
and  one  of  them  stepping  up  to  one  of  the  Spaniards,  as  if  they  had  been  a  couple 
of  boys  at  play,  takes  hold  of  his  hat  as  it  was  upon  his  head,  and  giving  it  a 
twirl  about,  fleering  in  his  face,  says  to  him,  "  And  you,  Seignior  Jack  Spaniard, 
shall  have  the  same  sauce,  if  you  do  not  mend  your  manners."  The  Spaniard, 
who,  though  a  quiet,  civil  man,  was  as  brave  a  man  as  could  be,  and,  withal,  a 
strong,  well-made  man,  looked  at  him  for  a  good  while,  and  then,  having  no  weapon 
in  his  hand,  stepped  gravely  up  to  him,  and,  with   one  blow  of  his  fist,  knocked 


250  Robinson  Crusoe. 

him  down,  as  an  ox  is  felled  with  a  pole-axe ;  at  which  one  of  the  rogues,  as 
insolent  as  the  first,  fired  his  pistol  at  the  Spaniard  immediately :  he  missed  his 
body,  indeed,  for  the  bullets  went  through  his  hair,  but  one  of  them  touched  the  tip 
of  his  ear,  and  he  bled  pretty  much.  The  blood  made  the  Spaniard  believe  he  was 
more  hurt  than  he  really  was,  and  that  put  him  into  some  heat,  for  before  he  acted 
all  in  a  perfect  calm ;  but  now,  resolving  to  go  through  with  his  work,  he  stooped, 
and  took  the  fellow's  musket  whom  he  had  knocked  down,  and  was  just  going  to 
shoot  the  man  who  had  fired  at  him,  when  the  rest  of  the  Spaniards,  being  in  the 
cave,  came  out,  and  calling  to  him  not  to  shoot,  they  stepped  in,  secured  the  other 
two,  and  took  their  arms  from  them. 

When  they  were  thus  disarmed,  and  found  they  had  made  all  the  Spaniards 
their  enemies,  as  well  as  their  own  countrymen,  they  began  to  cool,  and,  giving 
the  Spaniards  better  words,  would  have  had  their  arms  again ;  but  the  Spaniards 
considering  the  feud  that  was  between  them  and  the  other  two  Englishmen,  and 
that  it  would  be  the  best  method  that  they  could  take  to  keep  them  from  killing 
one  another,  told  them  they  would  do  them  no  harm ;  and  if  they  would  live 
peaceably,  they  would  be  very  willing  to  assist  and  associate  with  them,  as  they 
did  before  ;  but  that  they  could  not  think  of  giving  them  their  arms  again,  while 
they  appeared  so  resolved  to  do  mischief  with  them  to  their  own  countrymen,  and 
had  even  threatened  them  all  to  make  them  their  servants. 

The  rogues  were  now  no  more  capable  to  hear  reason  than  to  act  with  reason ; 
but  being  refused  their  arms,  they  went  raving  away,  and  raging  like  madmen, 
threatening  what  they  would  do,  though  they  had  no  fire-arms.  But  the  Spaniards, 
despising  their  threatening,  told  them  they  should  take  care  how  they  offered  any 
injury  to  their  plantation  or  cattle ;  for  if  they  did,  they  would  shoot  them  as 
thev  would  ravenous  beasts,  wherever  they  found  them ;  and  if  they  fell  into  their 
hands  alive,  they  should  certainly  be  hanged.  However,  this  was  far  from  cooling 
them,  but  away  they  went,  raging  and  swearing  like  furies  of  hell.  As  soon  as 
they  were  gone,  the  two  men  came  back,  in  passion  and  rage  enough  also,  though 
of  another  kind ;  for  having  been  at  their  plantation,  and  finding  it  all  demolished 
and  destroyed,  as  above,  it  will  easily  be  supposed  they  had  provocation  enough. 
They  could  scarce  have  room  to  tell  their  tale,  the  Spaniards  were  so  eager  to  tell 
them  theirs ;  and  it  was  strange  enough  to  find  that  three  men  should  thus  bully 
nineteen,  and  receive  no  punishment  at  all. 

The  Spaniards,  indeed,  despised  them,  and  especially,  having  thus  disarmed 
them,  made  light  of  their  threatenings ;  but  the  two  Englishmen  resolved  to  have 
their  remedy  against  them,  what  pains  soever  it  cost  to  find  them  out.  But  the 
Spaniards  interposed  here  too,  and  told  them,  that  as  they  had  disarmed  them, 
they  could  not  consent  that  they  (the  two)  should  pursue  them  with  fire-arms,  and 
perhaps  kill  them.  "  But,"  said  the  grave  Spaniard,  who  was  their  governor,  "  we 
will  endeavor  to  make  them  do  you  justice,  if  you  will  leave  it  to  us ;  for  their 
is  no  doubt  but  they  will  come  to  us  again,  when  their  passion  is  over,  being  not 
able  to  subsist  without  our  assistance.  We  promise  you  to  make  no  peace  with 
them  without  having  a  full  satisfaction  for  you ;    and,  upon  this  condition,  we  hope 


Humble-Pie.  251 

you  will  promise  to  use  no  violence  with  them,  other  than  in  your  own  defense." 
The  two  Englishmen  yielded  to  this  very  awkwardly,  and  with  great  reluctance ; 
but  the  Spaniards  protested  that  they  did  it  only  to  keep  them  from  bloodshed, 
and  to  make  them  all  easy  at  last.  "  For,"  said  they,  "  we  are  not  so  many  of 
us ;  here  is  room  enough  for  us  all,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  that  we  should  not  be 
all  good  friends."  At  length  they  did  consent,  and  waited  for  the  issue  of  the 
thing,  living  for  some  days  with  the  Spaniards ;  for  their  own  habitation  was 
destroyed. 

In  about  five  days'  time,  the  three  vagrants,  tired  with  wandering,  and  almost 
starved  with  hunger,  having  chiefly  lived  on  turtles'  eggs  all  that  while,  came  back 
to  the  grove ;  and  finding  my  Spaniard,  who,  as  I  have  said,  was  the  governor, 
and  two  more  with  him,  walking  by  the  side  of  the  creek,  they  came  up  in  a  very 
submissive,  humble  manner,  and  begged  to  be  received  again  into  the  family. 
The  Spaniards  used  them  civilly,  but  told  them  they  had  acted  so  unnaturally  to 
their  countrymen,  and  so  very  grossly  to  them  (the  Spaniards),  that  they  could  not 
come  to  any  conclusion  without  consulting  the  two  Englishmen  and  the  rest;  but, 
however,  they  would  go  to  them  and  discourse  about  it,  and  they  should  know 
in  half  an  hour.  It  may  be  guessed  that  they  were  very  hard  put  to  it ;  for,  it 
seems,  as  they  were  to  wait  this  half  hour  for  an  answer,  they  begged  they  would 
send  them  out  some  bread  in  the  meantime,  which  they  did,  sending  at  the  same 
time  a  large  piece  of  goat's  flesh,  and  a  boiled  parrot,  which  they  ate  very  heartily, 
for  they  were  hungry  enough. 

After  half  an  hour's  consultation,  they  were  called  in,  and  a  long  debate  ensued, 
their  two  countrymen  charging  them  with  the  ruin  of  all  their  labor,  and  a  design 
to  murder  them ;  all  which  they  owned  before,  and  therefore  could  not  deny  now. 
Upon  the  whole,  the  Spaniards  acted  the  moderators  between  them  ,  and  as  they 
had  obliged  the  two  Englishmen  not  to  hurt  the  three  while  they  were  naked  and 
unarmed,  so  they  now  obliged  the  three  to  go  and  rebuild  their  fellows'  two  huts, 
one  to  be  of  the  same  and  the  other  of  larger  dimensions  than  they  were  before ; 
to  fence  their  ground  again  where  they  had  pulled  up  their  fences,  plant  trees  in  the 
room  of  those  pulled  up,  dig  up  the  land  again  for  planting  corn_  where  they  had 
spoiled  it,  and,  in  a  word,  to  restore  everything  to  the  same  state  as  they  found 
it,  as  near  as  they  could ;  for  entirely  it  could  not  be,  the  season  for  the  corn,  and 
the  growth  of  the  trees  and  hedges,  not  being  possible  to  be  recovered. 

Well,  they  submitted  to  all  this ;  and  as  they  had  plenty  of  provisions  given 
them  all  the  while,  they  grew  very  orderly,  and  the  whole  society  began  to  live 
pleasantly  and  agreeably  together  again ;  only  that  these  three  fellows  could  never 
be  persuaded  to  work — I  mean  for  themselves — except  now  and  then  a  little,  just 
as  they  pleased ;  however,  the  Spaniards  told  them  plainly,  that  if  they  would  but 
live  sociably  and  friendly  together,  and  study  the  good  of  the  whole  plantation, 
they  would  be  content  to  work  for  them,  and  let  them  walk  about  and  be  as 
idle  as  they  pleased ;  and  thus,  having  lived  pretty  well  together  for  a  month  or 
two,  the  Spaniards  gave  them  arms  again,  and  gave  them  liberty  to  go  abroad  with 
them  as  before. 


252  Robinson  Crusoe. 

It  was  not  above  a  week  after  they  had  these  arms,  and  went  abroad,  before 
the  ungrateful  creatures  began  to  be  as  insolent  and  troublesome  as  ever ;  but, 
however,  an  accident  happened  presently  upon  this,  which  endangered  the  safety  of 
them  all ;  and  they  were  obliged  to  lay  by  all  private  resentments,  and  look  to 
the  preservation  of  their  lives. 

It  happened  one  night  that  the  Spanish  governor,  as  I  call  him — that  is  to 
say,  the  Spaniard  whose  life  I  had  saved — who  was  now  the  captain,  or  leader,  or 
governor  of  the  rest,  found  himself  very  uneasy  in  the  night,  and  could  by  no 
means  get  any  sleep  :  he  was  perfectly  well  in  body,  as  he  told  me  the  story,  only 
found  his  thoughts  tumultuous ;  his  mind  ran  upon  men  fighting  and  killing  one 
another ;  but  he  was  broad  awake,  and  could  not  by  any  means  get  any  sleep ;  in 
short,  he  lay  a  great  while,  but,  growing  more  and  more  uneasy,  he  resolved  to 
rise.  As  they  lay,  being  so  many  of  them,  on  goat-skins  laid  thick  upon  such 
couches  and  pads  as  they  made  for  themselves,  and  not  in  hammocks  and  ship- 
beds  as  I  did,  who  was  but  one,  so  they  had  little  to  do,  when  they  were  willing 
to  rise,  but  to  get  upon  their  feet,  and  perhaps  put  on  a  coat,  such  as  it  was,  and 
their  pumps,  and  they  were  ready  for  going  any  way  that  their  thoughts  guided 
them.  Being  thus  got  up,  he  looked  out;  but,  being  dark,  he  could  see  little  or 
nothing ;  and,  besides,  the  trees  which  I  had  planted,  as  in  my  former  account  is 
described,  and  which  were  now  grown  tall,  intercepted  his  sight,  so  that  he  could 
only  look  up,  and  see  that  it  was  a  clear  starlight  night,  and,  hearing  no  noise,  he 
returned  and  laid  him  down  again ;  but  it  was  all  one :  he  could  not  sleep,  nor 
could  he  compose  himself  to  anything  like  rest ;  but  his  thoughts  were  to  the  last 
degree  uneasy,  and  he  knew  not  for  what. 

Having  made  some  noise  with  rising  and  walking  about,  going  out  and  coming 
in,  another  of  them  waked,  and,  calling,  asked  who  it  was  that  was  up.  The 
governor  told  him  how  it  had  been  with  him.  "Say  you  so?"  says  the  other 
Spaniard ;  "  such  things  are  not  to  be  slighted,  I  assure  you,  there  is  certainly 
some  mischief  working  near  us ;  "  and  presently  he  asked  him,  "  Where  are  the 
Englishmen?"  "They  are  all  in  their  huts,"  says  he,  "safe  enough."  It  seems 
the  Spaniards  had  kept  possession  of  the  main  apartment,  and  had  made  a  place 
for  the  three  Englishmen,  who,  since  their  last  mutiny,  .were  always  quartered  by 
themselves,  and  could  not  come  at  the  rest.  "  Well,"  says  the  Spaniard,  "there 
is  something  in  it,  I  am  persuaded,  from  my  own  experience,  l  am  satisfied  our 
spirits  embodied  have  a  converse  with  and  receive  intelligence  from  the  spirits 
unembodied,  and  inhabiting  the  invisible  world ;  and  this  friendly  notice  is  given 
for  our  advantage,  if  we  knew  how  to  make  use  of  it.  Come,"  says  he,  "  let  us 
go  and  look  abroad ;  and  if  we  find  nothing  at  all  in  it  to  justify  the  trouble,  I'll 
tell  you  a  story  to  the  purpose,  that  shall  convince  you  of  the  justice  of  my 
proposing  it." 

In  a  word,  they  went  out,  to  go  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  I  used  to 
go  ;  but  they  being  strong,  and  a  good  company,  not  alone,  as  I  was,  used  none 
of  my  cautions,  to  go  up  by  the  ladder,  and  pulling  it  up  after  them,  to  go  up  a 
second  stage  to  the  top,  but  were  going  round    through  the  grove,  unconcerned 


An  Error  of  Judgment. 


253 


and  unwary,  when  they  were  surprised  with  seeing  a  light  as  of  fire,  a  very  little 
way  off  from  them,  and  hearing  the  voices  of  men — not  of  one  or  two,  but  of  a 
great  number. 

In  all  the  discoveries  I  had  made  of  the  savages  landing  on  the  island,  rt'  was 
my  constant  care  to  prevent  them  making  the  least  discovery  of  their  being  any 
inhabitant  upon  the  place ;  and  when  by  any  occasion  they  came  to  know  it,  they 
felt  it  so  effectually  that  they  that  got  away  were  scarce  able  to  give  any  account 
of  it ;   for  we  disappeared  as  soon  as    possible ;   nor  did  ever  any  that  had  seen 


"THEY   CAME    UP    IN    \    VERY    SUBMISSIVE,    HUMBLE    MANNER"    (/>.   251). 


me,  escape  to  tell  any  one  else,  except  it  was  the  three  savages  in  our  last 
encounter,  who  jumped  into  the  boat ;  of  whom,  I  mentioned,  I  was  afraid  they 
should  go  home  and  bring  more  help.  Whether  it  was  the  consequence  of  the 
escape  of  those  men  that  so  great  a  number  came  now  together,  or  whether  they 
came  ignorantly,  and  by  accident,  on  their  usual  bloody  errand,  the  Spaniards  could 
not,  it  seems,  understand ;  but,  whatever  it  was,  it  had  been  their  business  either 
to  have  concealed  themselves,  or  not  to  have  seen  them  at  all,  much  less  to  have 
let  the  savages  have  seen  that  there  were  any  inhabitants  in  the  place ;  or  to  have 
fallen  upon  them  so  effectually  as  that  not  a  man  of  them  should  have  escaped, 
which  could  only  have  been  by  getting  in  between  them  and  their  boats :  but 
this  presence  of  mind  was  wanting  to  them,  which  was  the  ruin  of  their  tranquillity 
for  a  great  while. 

We   need  not  doubt  but  that  the   governor   and   the   man  with  him,  surprised 


254  Robinson  Crusoe. 

with  this  sight,  ran  back  immediately  and  raised  their  fellows,  giving  them  an 
account  of  the  imminent  danger  they  were  all  in,  and  they  again  as  readily  took 
the  alarm ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  persuade  them  to  stay  close  within  where  they 
were;  but  they  must  all  run  out  to  see  how  things  stood. 

While  it  Was  dark,  indeed,  they  were  well  enough,  and  they  had  opportunity 
enough,  for  some  hours,  to  view  them  by  the  light  of  three  fires  they  had  made 
at  a  distance  from  one  another;  what  they  were  doing  they  knew  not,  and  what 
to  do  themselves  they  knew  not.  For,  first,  the  enemy  were  too  many ;  and, 
secondly,  they  did  not  keep  together,  but  were  divided  into  several  parties,  and 
were  on  shore  in  several  places. 

The  Spaniards  were  in  no  small  consternation  at  this  sight ;  and,  as  they  found 
that  the  fellows  ran  straggling  all  over  the  shore,  they  made  no  doubt  but,  first 
or  last,  some  of  them  would  chop  in  upon  their  habitation,  or  upon  some  other 
place  where  they  would  see  the  token  of  inhabitants ;  and  they  were  in  great  per- 
plexity also  for  fear  of  their  flock  of  goats,  which  would  have  been  little  less  than 
starving  them,  if  they  should  have  been  destroyed ;  so  the  first  thing  they  resolved 
upon  was  to  dispatch  three  men  away  before  it  was  light,  two  Spaniards  and  one 
Englishman,  to  drive  all  the  goats  away  to  the  great  valley  where  the  cave  was, 
and,  if  need  were,  to  drive  them  into  the  very  cave  itself.  Could  they  have  seen 
the  savages  all  together  in  one  body,  and  at  a  distance  from  their  canoes,  they 
resolved,  if  there  had  been  a  hundred  of  them,  to  have  attacked  them ;  but  that 
could  not  be  obtained,  for  they  were  some  of  them  two  miles  off  from  the  others ; 
and,  as  it  appeared  afterwards,  were  of  two  different  nations. 

After  having  mused  a  great  while  on  the  course  they  should  take,  and  beating 
their  brains  in  considering  their  present  circumstances,  they  resolved,  at  last,  while 
it  was  still  dark,  to  send  the  old  savage,  Friday's  father,  out  as  a  spy,  to  learn, 
if  possible,  something  concerning  them — as  what  they  came  for,  what  they  intended 
to  do,  and  the  like.  The  old  man  readily  undertook  it ;  and  stripping  himself 
quite  naked,  as  most  of  the  savages  were,  away  he  went.  After  he  had  been  gone 
an  hour  or  two,  he  brings  word  that  he  had  been  among  them  undiscovered ;  that 
he  found  they  were  two  parties,  and  of  two  several  nations,  who  had  war  with 
one  another,  and  had  had  a  great  battle  in  their  own  country ;  and  that  both 
sides  having  had  several  prisoners  taken  in  the  fight,  they  were,  by  mere  chance, 
landed  all  on  the  same  island,  for  the  devouring  their  prisoners  and  making 
merry ;  but  their  coming  so  by  chance  to  the  same  place  had  spoiled  all  their 
mirth — that  they  were  in  a  great  rage  at  one  another,  and  were  so  near,  that  he 
believed  they  would  fight  again  as  soon  as  daylight  began  to  appear ;  but  he  did 
not  perceive  that  they  had  any  notion  of  anybody  being  on  the  island  but  them- 
selves. He  had  hardly  made  an  end  of  telling  his  story,  when  they  could  perceive, 
by  the  unusual  noise  they  made,  that  the  two  little  armies  were  engaged  in  a 
bloody  fight. 

Friday's  father  used  all  the  arguments  he  could  to  persuade  our  people  to  lie 
close,  and  not  be  seen  ;  he  told  them  their  safety  consisted  in  it,  and  that  they 
had  nothing  to   do  but  lie  still,  and  the  savages  would  kill  one  another  to  their 


Fight  between  the  Savages.  255 

hands,  and  then  the  rest  would  go  away ;  and  it  was  so  to  a  tittle.  But  it  was 
impossible  to  prevail,  especially  upon  the  Englishmen ;  their  curiosity  was  so  im- 
portunate upon  their  prudentials,  that  they  must  run  out  and  see  the  battle ; 
however,  they  used  some  caution,  too  ;  they  did  not  go  openly,  just  by  their  own 
dwelling,  but  went  farther  into  the  woods,  and  placed  themselves  to  advantage, 
where  they  might  securely  see  them  manage  the  fight,  and,  as  they  thought,  not 
be  seen  by  them ;  but  it  seems  the  savages  did  see  them,  as  we  shall  find 
hereafter. 

The  battle  was  very  fierce ;  and,  if  I  might  believe  the  Englishmen,  one  of 
them  said  he  could  perceive  that  some  of  them  were  men  of  great  bravery,  of 
invincible  spirits,  and  of  great  policy  in  guiding  the  fight.  The  battle,  they  said, 
held  two  hours  before  they  could  guess  which  party  would  be  beaten ;  but  then 
that  party  which  was  nearest  our  people's  habitation  began  to  appear  weakest,  and 
after  some  time  more,  some  of  them  began  to  fly ;  and  this  put  our  men  again 
into  a  great  consternation,  lest  any  one  of  those  that  fled  should  run  into  the 
grove  before  their  dwelling  for  shelter,  and  thereby  involuntarily  discover  the 
place ;  and  that,  by  consequence,  the  pursuers  would  do  the  like  in  search  of 
them.  Upon  this,  they  resolved  that  they  would  stand  armed  within  the  wall,  and 
whoever  came  into  the  grove,  they  resolved  to  sally  out  over  the  wall  and  kill 
them,  so  that,  if  possible,  not  one  should  return  to  give  an  account  of  it ;  they 
ordered  also  that  it  should  be  done  with  their  swords,  or  by  knocking  them  down 
with  the  stocks  of  their  muskets,  but  not  by  shooting  them,  for  fear  of  raising  an 
alarm  by  the  noise. 

As  they  expected  it  fell  out ;  three  of  the  routed  army  fled  for  life,  and  crossing 
the  creek,  ran  directly  into  the  place,  not  in  the  least  knowing  whither  they  went, 
but  running  as  into  a  thick  wood  for  shelter.  The  scout  they  kept  to  look  abroad 
gave  notice  of  this  within,  with  this  addition,  to  our  men's  great  satisfaction,  viz., 
that  the  conquerors  had  not  pursued  them,  or  seen  which  way  they  were^gone ; 
upon  this,  the  Spanish  governor,  a  man  of  humanity,  would  not  suffer  them  to  kill 
the  three  fugitives,  but  sending  three  men  out  by  the  top  of  the  hill,  ordered  them' 
to  go  round,  come  in  behind  them,  and  surprise  and  take  them  prisoners ;  which 
was  done.  The  residue  of  the  conquered  people  fled  to  their  canoes,  and  got  off 
to  sea ;  the  victors  retired,  made  no  pursuit,  or  very  little,  but  drawing  themselves 
into  a  body  together,  gave  two  great  screaming  shouts,  which  they  supposed  was 
by  way  of  triumph — and  so  the  fight  ended :  and  the  same  day,  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  they  also  marched  to  their  canoes.  And  thus  the  Spaniards  had 
the  island  again  free  to  themselves,  their  fright  was  over,  and  they  saw  no  savages 
for  several  years  after. 

After  they  were  all  gone,  the  Spaniards  came  out  of  their  den,  and  viewing  the 
field  of  battle,  they  found  about  two-and-thirty  men  dead  on  the  spot ;  some  were 
killed  with  great  long  arrows,  some  of  which  were  found  sticking  in  their  bodies ; 
but  most  of  them  were  killed  with  great  wooden  swords,  sixteen  or  seventeen  of 
which  they  found  in  the  field  of  battle,  and  as  many  bows,  with  a  great  many 
arrows.     These  swords  were  strange,  great  unwieldy  things,  and  they  must  be  very 


256 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


strong  men  that  used  them ;  most  of  those  men  that  were  killed  with  them  had 
their  heads  mashed  to  pieces,  as  we  may  say,  or,  as  we  call  it  in  English,  their 
brains  knocked  out,  and  several  their  arms  and  legs  broken ;  so  that  it  is  evident 
they  fight  with  inexpressible  rage  and  fury.  We  found  not  one  man  that  was  not 
stone  dead ;    for  either  they  stay  by  their  enemy  till  they  have  killed  him,  or  they 


■*"  Wm 


THEY  WERE  SURPRISED  WITH  SEEING 
A   LIGHT"    (>.   253). 


:;    '"•"  carry  all  the  wounded  men 

that  are  not  quite  dead  away 
with  them. 

This  deliverance  tamed 
our  Englishmen  for  a  great 
while ;  the  sight  had  filled  them  with  horror,  and  the  consequences  appeared  terrible 
to  the  last  degree,  especially  upon  supposing  that  some  time  or  other  they  should  fall 
into  the  hands  of  those  creatures,  who  would  not  only  kill  them  as  enemies,  but  kill 
them  for  food,  as  we  kill  our  cattle ;  and  they  professed  to  me  that  the  thoughts  of 
being  eaten  up  like  beef  and  mutton,  though  it  was  supposed  it  was  not  to  be  till 
they  were  dead,  had  something  in  it  so  horrible  that  it  nauseated  their  very  stomachs, 
made  them  sick  when  they  thought  of  it,  and  filled  their  minds  with  such  unusual 
terror,  that  they  were  not  themselves  for  some  weeks  after.      This,  as  I  said,  tamed 


The  Three  Prisoners. 


257 


even  the  three  English  brutes  I  have  been  speaking  of;  and  for  a  great  while 
after  they  were  tractable,  and  went  about  the  common  business  of  the  whole  society 
well  enough — planted,  sowed,  reaped,  and  began  to  be  all  naturalized  to  the 
country.  But  some  time  after  this  they  fell  into  such  simple  measures  again,  as 
brought  them  into  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 

They  had  taken  three  prisoners,  as  I  observed ;  and  these  three  being  lusty, 
stout  young  fellows,  they  made  them  servants,  and  taught  them  to  work  for  them ; 
and  as  slaves  they  did  well  enough ;   but  they  did  not  take  their  measures  with 


Vty's.  f^\f 


INDIANS   JUST   COMING    ON    SHORE"    (p.   259). 


them  as  I  did  by  my  man  Friday,  viz.,  to  begin  with  them  upon  the  principle  of 
having  saved  their  lives,  and  then  instruct  them  in  the  rational  principles  of  life, 
much  less  of  religion — civilizing  and  reducing  them  by  kind  usage  and  affectionate 
arguments ;  but  as  they  gave  them  their  food  every  day,  so  they  gave  them  their 
work  too,  and  kept  them  fully  employed  in  drudgery  enough ;  but  they  failed 
in  this  by  it,  that  they  never  had  them  to  assist  them  and  fight  for  them 
as  I  had  my  man  Friday,  who  was  as  true  to  me  as  the  very  flesh  upon  my 
bones. 

But  to  come  to  the  family  part.  Being  all  now  good  friends,  for  common 
danger,  as  I  said  above,  had  effectually  reconciled  them,  they  began  to  consider 
their  general  circumstances ;   and  the  first  thing  that  came  under  consideration  was 


258  Robinson  Crusoe. 

whether,  seeing  the  savages  particularly  haunted  that  side  of  the  island,  and  that 
there  were  more  remote  and  retired  parts  of  it  equally  adapted  to  their  way  of 
living,  and  manifestly  to  their  advantage,  they  should  not  rather  move  their  habi- 
tation, and  plant  in  some  more  proper  place  for  their  safety,  and  especially  for 
the  security  of  their  cattle  and  corn, 

Upon  this,  after  long  debate,  it  was  concluded  that  they  would  not  remove  their 
habitation ;  because  that,  some  time  or  other,  they  thought  they  might  hear  from 
their  governor  again,  meaning  me ;  and  if  I  should  send  any  one  to  seek  them,  I 
should  be  sure  to  direct  them  to  that  side,  where,  if  they  should  find  the  place 
demolished,  £hey  would  conclude  the  savages  had  killed  us  all,  and  we  were  gone, 
and  so  our  supply  would  go  too.  But  as  to  their  corn  and  cattle,  they  agreed  to 
remove  them  into  the  valley  where  my  cave  was,  where  the  land  was  as  proper 
for  both,  and  where,  indeed,  there  was  land  enough  ;  however,  upon  second  thoughts, 
they  altered  one  part  of  their  resolution  too,  and  resolved  only  to  remove  part  of 
their  cattle  thither,  and  plant  part  of  their  corn  there ;  and  so  if  one  part  was 
destroyed,  the  other  might  be  saved.  And  one  part  of  prudence  they  used,  which 
it  was  very  well  they  did,  that  they  never  trusted  those  three  savages,  which  they 
had  taken  prisoners,  with  knowing  anything  of  the  plantation  they  had  made  in 
that  valley,  or  of  any  cattle  they  had  there,  much  less  of  the  cave  there,  which 
they  kept,  in  case  of  necessity,  as  a  safe  retreat ;  and  thither  they  carried  also  the 
two  barrels  of  powder,  which  I  had  sent  them  at  my  coming  away.  But,  how- 
ever, they  resolved  not  to  change  their  habitation  ;  yet  they  agreed,  that  as  I  had 
carefully  covered  it  first  with  a  wall  or  fortification,  and  then  with  a  grove  of  trees, 
so  seeing  their  safety  consisted  entirely  in  their  being  concealed,  of  which  they 
were  now  fully  convinced,  they  set  to  work  to  cover  and  conceal  the  place  yet 
more  effectually  than  before.  For  this  purpose,  as  I  planted  trees,  or  rather  thrust 
in  stakes,  which  in  time  all  grew  up  to  be  trees,  for  some  good  distance  before 
the  entrance  into  my  apartments,  they  went  on  in  the  same  manner,  and  filled  up 
the  rest  of  that  whole  space  of  ground  from  the  trees  I  had  set  quite  down  to 
the  side  of  the  creek,  where,  as  I  said,  I  landed  my  floats,  and  even  into  the  very 
ooze  where  the  tide  flowed,  not  so  much  as  leaving  any  place  to  land,  or  any 
sign  that  there  had  been  any  landing  thereabouts :  these  stakes  also  being  of  a 
wood  very  forward  to  grow,  as  I  have  noted  formerly,  they  took  care  to  have  them 
generally  much  larger  and  taller  than  those  which  I  had  planted ;  and  as  they 
grew  apace,  so  they  planted  them  so  very  thick  and  close  together  that,  when  they 
had  been  three  or  four  years  grown,  there  was  no  piercing  with  the  eye  any 
considerable  way  into  the  plantation  ;  and  as  for  that  part  which  I  had  planted,  the 
trees  were  grown  as  thick  as  a  man's  thigh,  and  among  them  they  placed  so  many 
other  short  ones,  and  so  thick,  that,  in  a  word,  it  stood  like  a  palisado  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  thick,  and  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  penetrate  it,  but  with  a  little 
army  to  cut  it  all  down — for  a  little  dog  could  hardly  get  between  the  trees,  they 
stood  so  close. 

But  this  was  not  all ;  for  they  did  the  same  by  all  the  ground  to  the  right 
hand  and  to  the  left,  and  round  even  to  the  side  of  the  hill,  leaving  no  way,  not 


Another  Broil.  259 

so  much  as  for  themselves,  to  come  out  but  by  the  ladder  placed  up  to  the  side 
of  the  hill,  and  then  lifted  up,  and  placed  again  from  the  first  stage  up  to  the 
top ;  and  when  the  ladder  was  taken  down,  nothing  but  what  had  wings  or  witch- 
craft to  assist  it  could  come  at  them.  This  was  excellently  well  contrived ;  nor 
was  it  less  than  what  they  afterwards  found  occasion  for,  which  served  to  convince 
me,  that  as  human  prudence  has  the  authority  of  Providence  to  justify  it,  so  it 
has  doubtless  the  direction  of  Providence  to  set  it  to  work ;  and  if  we  listened 
carefully  to  the  voice  of  it,  I  am  persuaded  we  might  prevent  many  of  the  disasters 
which  our  lives  are  now,  by  our  own  negligence,  subjected  to. 

I  return  to  the  story.  They  lived  two  years  after  this  in  perfect  retirement, 
and  had  no  more  visits  from  the  savages.  They  had,  indeed,  an  alarm  given  them 
one  morning,  which  put  them  into  a  great  consternation ;  for,  some  of  the  Spaniards 
being  out  early  one  morning,  on  the  west  side,  or  rather  end,  of  the  island. (which 
was  that  end  where  I  never  went,  for  fear  of  being  discovered),  they  were  sur- 
prised with  seeing  above  twenty  canoes  of  Indians  just  coming  on  shore.  They 
made  the  best  of  their  way  home  in  hurry  enough;  and,  giving  the  alarm  to  their 
comrades,  they  kept  close  all  that  day  and  the  next,  going  out  only  at  night  to 
make  their  observation ;  but  they  had  the  good  luck  to  be  mistaken,  for  wherever 
the  savages  went,  they  did  not  land  that  time  on  the  island,  but  pursued  some 
other  design. 

And  now  they  had  another  broil  with  the  three  Englishmen ;  one  of  whom,  a 
most  turbulent  fellow,  being  in  a  rage  at  one  of  the  three  slaves,  whom  I  mentioned 
they  had  taken,  because  the  fellow  had  not  done  something  right  which  he  bid 
him  do,  and  seemed  a  little  untractable  in  his  showing  him,  drew  a  hatchet  out 
of  a  frog-belt,  in  which  he  wore  it  by  his  side,  and  fell  upon  the  poor  savage, 
not  to  correct  him,  but  to  kill  him.  One  of  the  Spaniards,  who  was  by,  seeing 
him  give  the  fellow  a  barbarous  cut  with  the  hatchet,  which  he  aimed  at  his  head, 
but  struck  into  his  shoulder,  so  that  he  thought  he  had  cut  the  poor  creature's 
arm  off,  ran  to  him.  and  entreating  him  not  to  murder  the  poor  man,  placed 
himself  between  him  and  the  savage,  to  prevent  the  mischief.  The  fellow,  being 
enraged  the  more  at  this,  struck  at  the  Spaniard  with  his  hatchet,  and  swore  he 
would  serve  him  as  he  intended  to  serve  the  savage ;  which  the  Spaniard  per- 
ceiving, avoided  the  blow,  and  with  a  shovel  which  he  had  in  his  hand  (for  they 
were  all  working  in  the  field  about  their  corn  land)  knocked  the  brute  down. 
Another  of  the  Englishmen,  running  at  the  same  time  to  help  his  comrade, 
knocked  the  Spaniard  down ;  and  then  two  Spaniards  more  came  in  to  help 
their  man,  and  a  third  Englishman  fell  in  upon  them.  They  had  none  of  them 
any  fire-arms  or  any  other  weapons  but  hatchets  and  other  tools,  except 
this  third  Englishman ;  he  had  one  of  my  rusty  cutlasses,  with  which  he  made  at 
the  two  last  Spaniards,  and  wounded  them  both.  This  fray  set  the  whole  family 
in  an  uproar,  more  help  coming  in,  they  took  the  three  Englishmen  prisoners. 
The  next  question  was,  what  should  be  done  with  them?  They  had  been  so  often 
mutinous,  and  were  so  very  furious,  so  desperate,  and  so  idle  withal,  they  knew 
not  what    course    to   take  with    them,   for    they  were  mischievous   to   the    highest 


260  Robinson  Crusoe. 

degree,  and  cared  not  what  hurt  they  did  to  any  man  ;  so  that,  in  short,  it  was 
not  safe  to  live  with  them. 

The  Spaniard  who  was  governor  told  them,  in  so  many  words,  that  if  they 
had  been  of  his  own  country,  he  would  have  hanged  them  ;  for  all  laws  and  all 
governors  were  to  preserve  society,  and  those  who  were  dangerous  to  the  society 
ought  to  be  expelled  out  of  it ;  but  as  they  were  Englishmen,  and  that  it  was  to 
the  generous  kindness  of  an  Englishman  that  they  all  owed  their  preservation  and 
deliverance,  he  would  use  them  with  all  possible  lenity,  and  would  leave  them  to 
the  judgment  of  the  other  two  Englishmen,  who  were  their  countrymen. 

One  of  the  two  honest  Englishmen  stood  up,  and  said  they  desired  it  might 
not  be  left  to  them — "  For,"  says  he,  "  I  am  sure  we  ought  to  sentence  them  to 
the  gallows ;  "  and  with  that  he  gives  an  account  how  Will  Atkins,  one  of  the 
three,  had  proposed  to  have  all  the  five  Englishmen  join  together,  and  murder  all 
the  Spaniards  when  they  were  in  their  sleep. 

When  the  Spanish  governor  heard  this,  he  calls  to  Will  Atkins,  "  How,  Seignior 
Atkins,  would  you  murder  us  all?  What  have  you  to  say  to  that?  "  The  hardened 
villain  was  so  far  from  denying  it,  that  he  said  it  was  true,  and  swore  they  would 
do  it  still  before  they  had  done  with  them.  "Well,  but  Seignior  Atkins,"  says 
the  Spaniard,  "what  have  we  done  to  you  that  you  will  kill  us?  And  what 
would  you  get  by  killing  us?  And  what  must  we  do  to  prevent  your  killing  us? 
Must  we  kill  you,  or  you  will  kill  us?  Why  will  you  put  us  to  the  necessity  of 
this,  Seignior  Atkins?  "  says  the  Spaniard,  very  calmly,  and  smiling.  Seignior  Atkins 
was  in  such  a  rage  at  the  Spaniard's  making  a  jest  of  it,  that,  had  he  not  been 
held  by  three  men,  and  withal  had  no  weapon  near  him,  it  was  thought  that  he 
would  have  attempted  to  kill  the  Spaniard  in  the  middle  of  all  the  company. 
This  hair-brain  carriage  obliged  them  to  consider  seriously  what  was  to  be  done  ; 
the  two  Englishmen,  and  the  Spaniard  who  saved  the  poor  savage,  were  of  the 
opinion  that  they  should  hang  one  of  the  three,  for  an  example  to  the  rest,  and  that 
particularly  it  should  be  he  that  had  twice  attempted  to  commit  murder  with  his 
hatchet ;  and  indeed,  there  was  some  reason  to  believe  that  he  had  done  it,  for 
the  poor  savage  was  in  such  a  miserable  condition  with  the  wound  he  had  received, 
that  it  was  thought  he  could  not  live.  But  the  governor  Spaniard  still  said  no ; 
it  was  an  Englishman  that  had  saved  all  their  lives,  and  he  would  never  consent 
to  put  an  Englishman  to  death,  though  he  had  murdered  half  of  them ;  nay,  he 
said,  if  he  had  been  killed  himself  by  an  Englishman,  and  had  time  left  to  speak, 
it  should  be  that  they  should  pardon  him. 

This  was  so  positively  insisted  on  by  the  governor  Spaniard,  that  there  was  no 
gainsaying  it ;  and  as  merciful  counsels  are  most  apt  to  prevail,  where  they  are 
so  earnestly  pressed,  so  they  all  came  into  it ;  but  then  it  was  to  be  considered 
what  should  be  done  to  keep  them  from  doing  the  mischief  they  designed ;  for  all 
agreed,  governor  and  all,  that  means  were  to  be  used  for  preserving  the  society 
from  danger.  After  a  long  debate,  it  was  agreed,  first,  that  they  should  be 
disarmed,  and  not  permitted  to  have  either  gun,  powder,  shot,  sword,  or  any 
weapon  ;   and  should  be  turned  out  of  the  society,  and  left  to  live  where  they  would, 


The  Governor's  Action. 


261 


and  how  they  could,  by  themselves ;  but  that  none  of  the  rest,  either  Spaniards  or 
English,  should  converse  with  them,  speak  with  them,  or  have  anything  to  do  with 
them :  that  they  should  be  forbid  to  come  within  a  certain  distance  of  the  place 
where  the  rest  dwelt ;  and  if  they  offered  to  commit  any  disorder,  so  as  to  spoil, 
burn,  kill,  or  destroy  any  of  the  corn,  plantings,  buildings,  fences,  or  cattle,  be- 
longing to  the  society,  they  should  die  without  mercy,  and  they  would  shoot  them 
wherever  they  could  find  them. 

The  governor,  a  man  of  great  humanity,  musing  upon  the  sentence,  considered 
a  little  upon  it ;   and  turning  to  the    two    honest  Englishmen,  said,   "  Hold ;   you 


%vft^r 


"  PLACED    HIMSELF    BETWEEN    HIM    AND    THE    SAVAGE  "    (/.   259). 


must  reflect  that  it  will  be  long  ere  they  can  raise  corn  and  cattle  of  their  own, 
and  they  must  not  starve ;  we  must  therefore  allow  them  provisions."  So  he 
caused  to  be  added,  that  they  should  have  a  proportion  of  corn  given  them  to 
last  them  eight  months,  and  for  seed  to  sow,  by  which  time  they  might  be  sup- 
posed to  raise  some  of  their  own ;  that  they  should  have  six  milch-goats,  four 
he-goats,  and  six  kids  given  them,  as  well  for  present  subsistence  as  for  a  store ; 
and  that  they  should  have  tools  given  them  for  their  work  in  the  fields,  such 
as  six  hatchets,  an  adze,  a  saw,  and  the  like ;  but  they  should  have  none  of 
these    tools    or    provisions    unless    they    would    swear    solemnly   that    they   would 


262  Robinson  Cxusoe. 

not  hurt  or  injure  any  of  the  Spaniards  with  them,  or  of  their  fellow 
Englishmen. 

Thus  they  dismissed  them  the  society,,  and  turned  them  out  to  shift  for  them- 
selves. They  went  away  sullen  and  refractory,  as  neither  content  to  go  away,  nor 
to  stay ;  but,  as  there  was  no  remedy,  they  went,  pretending  to  go  and  choose  a 
place  where  they  would  settle  themselves ;  and  some  provisions  were  given  them, 
but  no  weapons. 

About  four  or  five  days  after,  they  came  again  for  some  victuals,  and  gave  the 
governor  an  account  where  the}'  had  pitched  their  tents,  and  marked  themselves 
out  a  habitation  and  plantation,  and  it  was  a  very  convenient  place  indeed,  on 
the  remotest  part  of  the  island,  X.E.,  much  about  the  place  where  I  providentially 
landed  in  my  first  voyage,  when  I  was  driven  out  to  sea,  the  Lord  knows  whither, 
in  my  foolish  attempt  to  sail  round  the  island. 

Here  they  built  themselves  two  handsome  huts,  and  contrived  them  in  a  manner 
like  my  first  habitation,  being  close  under  the  side  of  a  hill,  having  some  trees 
growing  already  on  three  sides  of  it,  so  that  by  planting  others  it  would  be  very 
easily  covered  from  the  sight,  unless  narrowly  searched  for.  They  desired  some 
dried  goat-skins,  for  beds  and  covering,  which  were  given  them ;  and  upon  giving 
their  words  that  they  would  not  disturb  the  rest,  or  injure  any  of  their  plantations, 
they  gave  them  hatchets,  and  what  other  tools  they  could  spare ;  some  peas,  barley, 
and  rice,  for  sowing,  and,  in  a  word,  anything  they  wanted,  except  arms  and 
ammunition. 

They  lived  in  this  separate  condition  about  six  months,  and  had  got  in  their 
first  harvest,  though  the  quantity  was  but  small,  the  parcel  of  land  they  had  planted 
being  but  little  ;  for,  indeed,  having  all  their  plantation  to  form,  they  had  a  great 
deal  of  work  upon  their  hands  ;  and  when  they  came  to  make  boards  and  pots, 
and  such  things,  they  were  quite  out  of  their  element,  and  could  make  nothing 
of  it ;  and  when  the  rainy  season  came  on,  for  want  of  a  cave  in  the  earth,  they 
could  not  keep  their  grain  dry,  and  it  was  in  great  danger  of  spoiling ;  and  this 
humbled  them  much  :  so  they  came  and  begged  the  Spaniards  to  help  them,  which 
they  very  readily  did  ;  and  in  four  days  worked  a  great  hole  in  the  side  of  the  hill 
for  them,  big  enough  to  secure  their  corn  and  other  things  from  the  rain :  but  it  was 
a  poor  place,  at  best,  compared  to  mine,  and  especially  as  mine  was  then,  for  the 
Spaniards  had  greatly  enlarged  it,  and  made  several  new  apartments  in  it. 

About  three  quarters  of  a  year  after  this  separation,  a  new  frolic  took  these 
rogues,  which,  together  with  the  former  villainy  they  had  committed,  brought 
mischief  enough  upon  them,  and  had  very  near  been  the  ruin  of  the  whole  colony. 
The  three  new  associates  began,  it  seems,  to  be  weary  of  the  laborious  life  they 
led,  and  that  without  hope  of  bettering  their  circumstances :  and  a  whim  took 
them  that  they  would  make  a  voyage  to  the  continent,  from  whence  the  savages 
came,  and  would  try  if  they  could  seize  upon  some  prisoners  among  the  natives 
there,  and  bring  them  home,  so  as  to  make  them  do  the  laborious  part  of  the 
work  for  them. 

The  project  was  not   so  preposterous,  if  they  had  gone  no  farther.      But   they 


The  Kindness  of  the  Spaniards.  263 

did  nothing,  and  proposed  nothing,  but  had  either  mischief  in  the  design  or 
mischief  in  the  event.  And  if  I  may  give  my  opinion,  they  seemed  to  be  under 
a  blast  from  Heaven ;  for  if  we  will  not  allow  a  visible  curse  to  pursue  visible 
crimes,  how  shall  we  reconcile  the  events  of  things  with  the  Divine  justice?  It 
was  certainly  an  apparent  vengeance  on  their  crime  of  mutiny  and  piracy  that 
brought  them  to  the  state  they  were  in ;  and  they  showed  not  the  least  remorse 
for  the  crime,  but  added  new  villainies  to  it,  such  as  the  piece  of  monstrous  cruelty 
of  wounding  a  poor  slave  because  he  did  not,  or  perhaps  could  not,  understand  to 
do  what  he  was  directed,  and  to  wound  him  in  such  a  manner  as  made  him  a 
cripple  all  his  life,  and  in  a  place  where  no  surgeon  or  medicine  could  be  had 
for  his  cure;  and,  what  was  still  worse,  the  murderous  intent,  or,  to  do  justice 
to  the  crime,  the  intentional  murder,  for  such  to  be  sure  it  was,  as  was  afterwards 
the  formed  design  they  all  laid,  to  murder  the  Spaniards  in  cold  blood,  and  in 
their  sleep. 

But  I  leave  observing,  and  return  to  the  story.  .  The  three  fellows  came  down 
to  the  Spaniards  one  morning,  and  in  very  humble  terms  desired  to  be  admitted 
to  speak  with  them.  The  Spaniards  very  readily  heard  what  they  had  to  say,  which 
was  this: — That  they  were  tired  of  living  in  the  manner  they  did,  and  that  they 
were  not  handy  enough  to  make  the  necessaries  they  wanted,  and  that  having  no 
help,  they  found  they  should  be  starved ;  but  if  the  Spaniards  would  give  them 
leave  to  take  one  of  the  canoes  which  they  came  over  in,  and  give  them  arms 
and  ammunition  proportioned  to  their  defense,  they  would  go  over  to  the  main 
and  seek  .their  fortunes,  and  so  deliver  them  from  the  trouble  of  supplying  them  with 
any  other  provisions. 

The  Spaniards  were  glad  enough  to  get  rid  of  them,  but  very  honestly  repre- 
sented to  them  the  certain  destruction  they  were  running  into ;  told  them  they 
had  suffered  such  hardships  upon  that  very  spot,  that  they  could,  without  any 
spirit  of  prophecy,  tell  them  they  would  be  starved  or  murdered,  and  bade  them 
consider  of  it. 

The  men  replied,  audaciously,  they  should  be  starved  if  they  stayed  here,  for 
they  could  not  work,  and  would  not  work,  and  they  could  but  be  starved  abroad ; 
and  if  they  were  murdered,  there  was  an  end  of  them ;  and,  in  short,  insisted 
importunately  upon  their  demand,  declaring  they  would  go,  whether  they  gave  them 
any  arms  or  no. 

The  Spaniards  told  them,  with  great  kindness,  that  if  they  were  resolved  to 
go,  they  should  not  go  like  naked  men,  and  be  in  no  condition  to  defend  them- 
selves ;  and  that,  though  they  could  ill  spare  their  fire-arms,  having  not  enough 
for  themselves,  yet  they  would  let  them  have  two  muskets,  a  pistol,  and  a  cutlass, 
and  each  man  a  hatchet,  which  they  thought  was  sufficient  for  them.  In  a  word, 
they  accepted  the  offer ;  and  having  baked  bread  enough  to  serve  them  a  month, 
and  given  them  as  much  goats'  flesh  as  they  could  eat  while  it  was  sweet,  and  a 
great  basket  of  dried  grapes,  a  pot  of  fresh  water,  and  a  young  kid  alive,  they 
boldly  set  out  in  a  canoe  for  a  voyage  over  the  sea,  where  it  was  at  least  forty 
miles  broad. 


264 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


The  boat,  indeed,  was  a  large  one,  and  would  very  well  have  carried  fifteen  or 
twenty  men,  and  therefore  was  rather  too  big  for  them  to  manage ;  but  as  they 
had  a  fair  breeze,  and  flood-tide  with  them,  they  did  well  enough.  They  had  made 
a  mast  of  a  long  pole,  and  a  sail  of  four  large  goat-skins  dried,  which  they  had 
sewed  or  laced  together ;  and  away  they  went  merrily  enough.  The  Spaniards  called 
after  them,  "  Bon  veyajo!  "  and  no  man  ever  thought  of  seeing  them  any  more. 

The  Spaniards  were  often  saying  to  one  another,  and  to  the  two  honest 
Englishmen  who  remained    behind,  how  quietly  and   comfortably  they  lived,  now 


THREE    STRANGE    MEN    COMING    TOWARDS    HIM. 


these  three  turbulent  fellows  were  gone.  As  for  their  coming  again,  that  was  tne 
remotest  thing  from  their  thoughts  that  could  be  imagined ;  when,  behold,  after 
two-and-twenty  days'  absence,  one  of  the  Englishmen,  being  abroad  upon  his  planting 
work,  sees  three  strange  men  coming  towards  him  at  a  distance,  with  guns  upon 
their  shoulders. 

Away  runs  the  Englishman,  as  if  he  was  bewitched,  comes  frightened  and  amazed 
to  the  governor  Spaniard,  and  tells  him  they  were  all  undone,  for  there  were 
strangers  upon  the  island,  but  could  not  tell  who  they  were.  The  Spaniard,  pausing 
awhile,  says  to  him,  "How  do  you  mean — you  cannot  tell  who?  They  are  the 
savages,  to  be  sure."  "  No,  no,"  says  the  Englishman,  "  they  are  men  in  clothes, 
with  arms."  "  Nay,  then,"  says  the  Spaniard,  "why  are  you  so  concerned?  If 
they  are  not  savages,  they  must  be  friends,  for  there  is  no  Christian  nation  upon 
earth  but  will  do  us  good  rather  than  harm." 


A   Curious  Exchange.  265 

While  they  were  debating  thus,  came  the  three  Englishmen,  and,  standing 
without  the  wood,  which  was  new  planted,  hallooed  to  them.  They  presently  knew 
their  voices,  and  so  all  the  wonder  ceased.  But  now  the  admiration  was  turned 
upon  another  question: — What  could  be  the  matter,  and  what  made  them  come 
back  again? 

It  was  not  long  before  they  brought  the  men  in,  and  inquiring  where  they  had 
been,  and  what  they  had  been  doing,  they  gave  them  a  full  account  of  their 
voyage  in  a  few  words : — that  they  reached  the  land  in  two  days,  or  something 
less ;  but  finding  the  people  alarmed  at  their  coming,  and  prepared  with  bows 
and  arrows  to  fight  them,  they  durst  not  go  on  shore,  but  sailed  on  to  the  north- 
ward six  or  seven  hours,  till  they  came  to  a  great  opening,  by  which  they  perceived 
that  the  land  they  saw  from  our  island  was  not  the  main  but  an  island.  Upon 
entering  that  opening  of  the  sea,  they  saw  another  island,  on  the  right  hand,  north, 
and  several  more  west ;  and  being  resolved  to  land  somewhere,  they  put  over  to 
one  of  the  islands  which  lay  west,  and  went  boldly  on  shore  ;  that  they  found  the 
people  very  courteous  and  friendly  to  them ;  and  that  they  gave  several  roots  and 
some  dried  fish,  and  appeared  very  sociable ;  and  the  women,  as  well  as  the  men, 
were  very  forward  to  supply  them  with  anything  they  could  get  for  them  to  eat, 
and  brought  it  to  them  a  great  way  upon  their  heads. 

They  continued  here  four  days,  and  inquired,  as  well  as  they  could  of  them, 
by  signs,  what  nations  were  this  way  and  that  way,  and  were  told  of  several  fierce 
and  terrible  people  that  lived  almost  every  way,  who,  as  they  made  known  by 
signs  to  them,  used  to  eat  men :  but  as  for  themselves,  they  said,  they  never  ate 
men  or  women,  except  only  such  as  they  took  in  the  wars ;  and  then,  they  owned, 
they  made  a  great  feast,  and  ate  their  prisoners. 

The  Englishmen  inquired  when  they  had  had  a  feast  of  that  kind ;  and  they 
told  them  about  two  moons  ago,  pointing  to  the  moon  and  to  two  fingers ;  and 
that  their  great  king  had  two  hundred  prisoners  now,  which  he  had  taken  in  his 
war,  and  they  were  feeding  them  to  make  them  fat  for  the  next  feast.  The 
Englishmen  seemed  mighty  desirous  of  seeing  those  prisoners ;  but  the  others 
mistaking  them,  thought  they  were  desirous  to  have  some  of  them  to  carry  away 
for  their  own  eating.  So  they  beckoned  to  them,  pointing  to  the  setting  of  the 
sun,  and  then  to  the  rising ;  which  was  to  signify  that  the  next  morning  at  sun- 
rising  they  would  bring  some  for  them ;  and,  accordingly,  the  next  morning  they 
brought  down  five  women  and  eleven  men,  and  gave  them  to  the  Englishmen,  to 
carry  away  with  them  on  their  voyage,  just  as  we  would  bring  so  many  cows  and 
oxen  down  to  a  seaport  town  to  victual  a  ship. 

As  brutish  and  barbarous  as  these  fellows  were  at  home,  their  stomachs  turned 
at  this  sight,  and  they  did  not  know  what  to  do.  To  refuse  the  prisoners  would 
have  been  the  highest  affront  to  the  savage  gentry  that  could  be  offered  them ; 
and  what  to  do  with  them  they  knew  not.  However,  after  some  debate  they 
resolved  to  accept  of  them  ;  and,  in  return,  they  gave  the  savages  that  brougnt 
them  one  of  their  hatchets,  an  old  key,  a  knife,  and  six  or  seven  of  their  bullets ; 
which,  though  they  did  not  understand  their  use,  they  seemed  particularly  pleased 


266  Robinson  Crusoe. 

with ;  and  then  tying  the  poor  creatures'  hands  behind  them,  they  dragged  the 
prisoners  into  the  boat  for  our  men. 

The  Englishmen  were  obliged  to  come  away  as  soon  as  they  had  them,  or 
else  they  that  gave  them  this  noble  present  would  certainly  have  expected  that 
they  should  have  gone  to  work  with  them,  have  killed  two  or  three  of  them  the 
next  morning,  and,  perhaps,  have  invited  the  donors  to  dinner.  But  having  taken 
their  leave,  with  all  the  respect  and  thanks  that  could  well  pass  between  people, 
where,  on  either  side,  they  understood  not  one  word  they  could  say,  they  put  off 
with  their  boat,  and  came  back  towards  the  first  island ;  where,  when  they  arrived, 
they  set  eight  of  their  prisoners  at  liberty,  there  being  too  many  of  them  for  their 
occasion. 

In  their  voyage  they  endeavored  to  have  some  communication  with  their 
prisoners ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  make  them  understand  anything.  Nothing  they 
could  say  to  them,  or  give  them,  or  do  for  them,  but  was  looked  upon  as  going 
to  murder  them.  They  first  of  all  unbound  them  ;  but  the  poor  creatures  screamed 
at  that,  especially  the  women,  as  if  they  had  just  felt  the  knife  at  their  throats; 
for  they  immediately  concluded  they  were  unbound  on  purpose  to  be  killed,  If 
they  gave  them  anything  to  eat,  it  was  the  same  thing ;  they  then  concluded  it  was 
for  fear  they  should  sink  in  flesh,  and  so  not  be  fat  enough  to  kill.  If  they 
looked  at  one  of  them  more  particularly,  the  party  presently  concluded  it  was 
to  see  whether  he  or  she  was  fattest,  and  fittest  to  kill  first ;  nay,  after  they 
had  brought  them  quite  over,  and  began  to  use  them  kindly,  and  treat  them 
well,  still  they  expected  every  day  to  make  a  dinner  or  supper  for  their  new 
masters. 

When  the  three  wanderers  had  given  this  unaccountable  history  or  journal  of 
their  voyage,  the  Spaniard  asked  them  where  their  new  family  was ;  and  being 
told  that  they  had  brought  them  on  shore,  and  put  them  into  one  of  their  huts, 
and  were  come  up  to  beg  some  victuals  for  them,  they  (the  Spaniards)  and  the 
other  two  Englishmen,  that  is  to  say,  the  whole  colony,  resolved  to  go  all  down  to 
the  place  and  see  them ;   and  did  so,  and  Friday's  father  with  them. 

When  they  came  into  the  hut,  there  they  sat,  all  bound ;  for  when  they  had 
brought  them  on  shore,  they  bound  their  hands,  that  they  might  not  take  the  boat 
and  make  their  escape ;  there,  I  say,  they  sat,  all  of  them  stark  naked.  First, 
there  were  three  men,  lusty,  comely  fellows,  well-shaped,  straight  and  fair  limbs, 
about  thirty  to  thirty-five  years  of  age ;  and  five  women,  Avhereof  two  might  be 
from  thirty  to  forty ;  two  more  not  above  four  or  five  and  twenty ;  and  the  fifth, 
a  tall,  comely  maiden,  about  sixteen  or  seventeen.  The  women  were  well-favored, 
agreeable  persons,  both  in  shape  and  features,  only  tawny ;  and  two  of  them,  had 
they  been  perfectlv  white,  would  have  passed  for  very  handsome  women,  even  in 
London  itself,  having  pleasant,  agreeable  countenances,  and  of  a  very  modest  be- 
havior ;  especially  when  they  came  afterwards  to  be  clothed  and  dressed,  as  they 
called  it,  though  that  dress  was  very  indifferent,  it  must  be  confessed. 

The  sight,  you  may  be  sure,  was  something  uncouth  to  our  Spaniards,  who 
were,  to  give  them  a  just  character,  men  of  the  best  behavior,  of  the  most  calm, 


Marriage  of  the  Englishmen.  267 

sedate  tempers,  and  perfect  good  humor,  that  ever  I  met  with ;  and,  in  particular, 
of  the  most  modesty ;  I  say,  the  sight  was  very  uncouth,  to  see  three  naked  men 
and  five  naked  women,  all  together  bound,  and  in  the  most  miserable  circumstances 
that  human  nature  could  be  supposed  to  be,  viz.,  to  be  expecting  every  moment 
to  be  dragged  out,  and  have  their  brains  knocked  out,  and  then  to  be  eaten  up 
like  a  calf  that  is  killed  for  a  dainty. 

The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  cause  the  old  Indian,  Friday's  father,  to  go  in, 
and  see,  first,  if  he  knew  any  of  them,  and  then  if  he  understood  any  of  their 
speech.  As  soon  as  the  old  man  came  in,  he  looked  seriously  at  them,  but  knew 
none  of  them ;  neither  could  any  of  them  understand  a  word  he  said,  or  a  sign 
he  could  make,  except  one  of  the  women.  However,  this  was  enough  to  answer 
the  end,  which  was  to  satisfy  them  that  the  men  into  whose  hands  they  were 
fallen  were  Christians ;  that  they  abhorred  eating  men  or  women ;  and  that  they 
might  be  sure  they  would  not  be  killed.  As  soon  as  they  were  assured  of  this, 
they  discovered  such  a  joy,  and  by  such  awkward  gestures,  several  ways,  as  is  hard 
to  describe  ;   for  it  seems  they  were  of  several  nations. 

The  woman  who  was  their  interpreter  was  bid,  in  the  next  place,  to  ask  them 
if  they  were  willing  to  be  servants,  and  to  work  for  the  men  who  had  brought 
them  away,  to  save  their  lives ;  at  which  they  all  fell  a-dancing ;  and  presently 
one  fell  to  taking  up  this,  and  another  that,  anything  that  lay  next,  to  carry  on 
their  shoulders,  to  intimate  they  were  willing  to  work. 

The  governor,  who  found  that  the  having  women  among  them  would  presently 
be  attended  with  some  inconvenience,  and  might  occasion  some  strife,  and  perhaps 
blood,  asked  the  three  men  what  they  intended  to  do  with  these  women,  and  how 
they  intended  to  use  them,  whether  as  servants  or  as  wives?  One  of  the  English- 
men answered,  very  boldly  and  readily,  that  they  would  use  them  as  both ;  to 
which  the  governor  said,  "  I  am  not  going  to  restrain  you  from  it — you  are  your 
own  masters  as  to  that ;  but  this  I  think  is  but  just,  for  avoiding  disorders  and 
quarrels  among  you,  and  I  desire  it  of  you  for  that  reason  only,  viz.: — That  you 
will  all  engage,  that  if  any  of  you  take  any  of  these  women  as  a  wife,  that  he 
shall  take  but  one ;  and  that,  having  taken  one,  none  else  shall  touch  her ;  for 
though  we  cannot  marry  any  one  of  you,  yet  it  is  but  reasonable  that,  while  you 
stay  here,  the  woman  any  of  you  takes  shall  be  maintained  by  the  man  that  takes 
her,  and  should  be  his  wife — I  mean,"  says  he,  "  while  he  continues  here,  and  that 
none  else  shall  have  anything  to  do  with  her."  All  this  appeared  so  just,  that 
every  one  agreed  to  it  without  any  difficulty. 

Then  the  Englishmen  asked  the  Spaniards  if  they  designed  to  take  any  of  them. 
But  every  one  of  them  answered,  "  No."  Some  of  them  said  they  had  wives  in 
Spain,  and  the  others  did  not  like  women  that  were  not  Christians ;  and  all 
together  declared  that  they  would  not  touch  one  of  them,  which  was  an  instance 
of  such  virtue  as  I  have  not  met  with  in  all  my  travels.  On  the  other  hand,  to 
be  short,  the  five  Englishmen  took  them  every  one  a  wife — that  is  to  say,  a 
temporary  wife ;  and  so  they  set  up  a  new  form  of  living ;  for  the  Spaniards  and 
Friday's  father   lived   in  my  old   habitation,   which   they  had   enlarged   exceedingly 


268  RobiiVSOat  Crusoe. 

within.  The  three  servants  which  were  taken  in  the  last  battle  of  the  savages 
lived  with  them ;  and  these  carried  on  the  main  part  of  the  colony,  supplied  all 
the  rest  with  food,  and  assisted  them  in  anything  as  they  could,  or  as  they  found 
necessity  required. 

But  the  wonder  of  the  story  was,  how  five  such  refractory,  ill-matched  fellows 
should  agree  about  these  women,  and  that  two  of  them  should  not  choose  the 
same  woman,  especially  seeing  two  or  three  of  them  were,  without  comparison, 
more  agreeable  than  the  others ;  but  they  took  a  good  way  enough  to  prevent 
quarreling  among  themselves,  for  they  set  the  five  women  by  themselves  in  one  of 
their  huts,  and  they  went  all  into  the  other  hut,  and  drew  lots  among  them  who 
should  choose  first. 

He  that  drew  to  choose  first  went  away  by  himself  to  the  hut  where  the  poor 
naked  creatures  were,  and  fetched  out  her  he  chose ;  and  it  was  worth  observing, 
that  he  that  chose  first  took  her  that  was  reckoned  the  homeliest  and  oldest  of 
the  five,  which  made  mirth  enough  among  the  rest ;  and  even  the  Spaniards 
laughed  at  it ;  but  the  fellow  considered  better  than  any  of  them,  that  it  was  ap- 
plication and  business  they  were  to  expect  assistance  in,  as  much  as  in  anything 
else ;   and  she  proved  the  best  wife  of  all  the  parcel. 

When  the  poor  women  saw  themselves  set  in  a  row  thus,  and  fetched  out  one 
by  one,  the  terrors  of  their  condition  returned  upon  them  again,  and  they  firmly 
believed  they  were  now  going  to  be  devoured.  Accordingly,  when  the  English 
sailor  came  in  and  fetched  out  one  of  them,  the  rest  set  up  a  most  lamentable 
cry,  and  hung  about  her,  and  took  their  leave  of  her  with  such  agonies  and 
affection  as  would  have  grieved  the  hardest  heart  in  the  world ;  nor  was  it  possible 
for  the  Englishmen  to  satisfy  them  that  they  were  not  to  be  immediately  murdered, 
till  they  fetched  the  old  man,  Friday's  father,  who  immediately  let  them  know 
that  the  five  men,  who  were  to  fetch  them  out  one  by  one,  had  chosen  them  for 
their  wives. 

When  they  had  done,  and  the  fright  the  women  were  in  was  a  little  over,  the 
men  went  to  work,  and  the  Spaniards  came  and  helped  them ;  and  in  a  few  hours 
they  had  built  them  every  one  a  new  hut  or  tent  for  their  lodging  apart ;  for  those 
they  had  already  were  crowded  with  their  tools,  household  stuffs,  and  provisions. 
The  three  wicked  ones  had  pitched  farthest  off,  and  the  two  honest  ones  nearer, 
but  both  on  the  north  shore  of  the  island,  so  that  they  continued  separated  as 
before ;  and  thus  my  island  was  peopled  in  three  places,  and,  as  I  might  say,  three 
towns  were  begun  to  be  built. 

And  here  it  is  very  well  worth  observing  that,  as  it  often  happens  in  the  world 
(what  the  wise  ends  of  God's  providence  are,  in  such  a  disposition  of  things,  I 
cannot  say),  the  two  honest  fellows  had  the  two  worst  wives ;  and  the  three  rep- 
robates, that  were  scarce  worth  hanging,  that  were  fit  for  nothing,  and  neither 
seemed  born  to  do  themselves  good  nor  any  one  else,  had  three  clever, 
diligent,  careful,  and  ingenious  wives ;  not  that  the  first  two  were  bad  wives, 
as  to  their  temper  or  humor,  for  all  the  five  were  most  willing,  quiet,  passive, 
and    subjected    creatures,    rather   like    slaves    than    wives ;     but   my   meaning   is, 


Marriage  a  Lottery! 


269 


they    were    not    alike    capable,    ingenious,    or    industrious,    or    alike    cleanly    and 
neat. 

Another  observation  I  must  make,  to  the  honor  of  a  diligent  application  on 
one  hand,  and  to  the  disgrace  of  a  slothful,  negligent,  idle  temper  on  the  other, 
that  when  I  came  to  the  place,  and  viewed  the  several  improvements,  plantings, 
and  management  of  the  several  little  colonies,  the  two  men  had  so  far  outgone 
the  three,  that  there  was  no  comparison.     They  had,  indeed,  both  of  them  as  much 


"drew  lots  among  them"  (/.  268). 


ground  laid  out  for  corn  as  they  wanted,  and  the  reason  was  because,  according 
to  my  rule,  nature  dictated  that  it  was  to  no  purpose  to  sow  more  corn  than 
they  wanted  ;  but  the  difference  of  the  cultivation,  of  .the  planting  of  the  fences, 
and,  indeed,  of  everything  else,  was  easy  to  be  seen  at  first  view. 

The  two  men  had  innumerable  young  trees  planted  about  their  huts,  so  that, 
when  you  came  to  the  place,  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  a  wood ;  and  though 
they  had  twice  had  their  plantation  demolished,  once  by  their  own  countrymen, 
and  once  by  the  enemy,  as  shall  be  shown  in  its  place,  yet  they  had  restored  all 
again,  and  everything  was  thriving  and  flourishing  about  them :  they  had  grapes 
planted  in  order,  and  managed  like  a  vineyard,  though  they  had  themselves  never 
seen  anything  of  that  kind ;   and,  by  their  good  ordering  their  vines,  their  grapes 


270  Robinson  Crusoe. 

were  as  good  again  as  any  of  the  others.  They  had  also  found  themselves  out 
a  retreat  in  the  thickest  part  of  the  woods,  where,  though  there  was  not  a  natural 
cave,  as  I  had  found,  yet  they  made  one  with  incessant  labor  of  their  hands,  and 
where,  when  the  mischief  which  followed  happened,  they  secured  their  wives  and 
children  so  as  they  could  never  be  found :  they  having,  by  sticking  innumerable 
stakes  and  poles  of  wood  which,  as  I  said,  grew  so  readily,  made  the  grove  im- 
passable, except  in  some  places,  where  they  climbed  up  to  get  over  the  outside 
part,  and.  then  went  on  by  ways  of  their  own  leaving. 

As  to  the  three  reprobates,  as  I  justly  call  them,  though  they  were  much 
civilized  by  their  settlement  compared  to  what  they  were  before,  and  were  not  so 
quarrelsome,  having  not  the  same  opportunity,  yet  one  of  the  certain  companions 
of  a  profligate  mind  never  left  them,  and  that  was  their  idleness.  It  is  true,  they 
planted  corn  and  made  fences ;  but  Solomon's  words  were  never  better  verified 
than  in  them — "  I  went  by  the  vineyard  of  the  slothful,  and  it  was  all  overgrown 
with  thorns ;  "  for  when  the  Spaniards  came  to  view  their  crop,  they  could  not  see 
it  in  some  places  for  weeds,  the  hedge  had  several  gaps  in  it,  where  the  wild 
goats  had  got  in  and  eaten  up  the  corn  ;  perhaps  here  and  there  a  dead  bush 
was  crammed  in,  to  stop  them  out  for  the  present,  but  it  was  only  shutting  the 
stable  door  after  the  steed  was  stolen :  whereas,  when  they  looked  on  the  colony 
of  the  other  two,  there  was  the  very  face  of  industry  and  success  upon  all  they 
did ;  there  was  not  a  weed  to  be  seen  in  all  their  corn,  or  a  gap  in  any  of  their 
hedges ;  and  they,  on  the  other  hand,  verified  Solomon's  words  in  another  place, 
that  "  the  diligent  hand  maketh  rich ;  "  for  everything  grew  and  thrived,  and 
they  had  plenty  within  and  without ;  they  had  more  tame  cattle  than  the  others, 
more  utensils  and  necessaries  within  doors,  and  yet  more  pleasure  and  diversion 
too. 

It  is  true,  the  wives  of  the  three  were  very  handy  and  cleanly  within  doors ; 
and  having  learned  the  English  ways  of  dressing  and  cooking  from  one  of  die 
other  Englishmen,  who,  as  I  said,  was  a  cook's  mate  on  beard  the  ship,  they 
dressed  their  husbands'  victuals  very  nicely  and  well ;  whereas  the  others  could 
not  be  brought  to  understand  it ;  but  then  the  husband,  who,  as  I  say.  had  been 
cook's  mate,  did  it  himself.  But  as  for  the  husbands  of  the  three  wives,  they 
loitered  about,  fetched  turtles'  eggs,  and  caught  fish  and  birds ;  in  a  word,  anything 
but  labor ;  and  they  fared  accordingly.  The  diligent  lived  well  and  comfortably, 
and  the  slothful  hard  and  beggarly ;  and  so,  I  believe,  generally  speaking,  it  is  all 
over  the  world. 

But  I  now  come  to  a  scene  different  from  all  that  had  happened  before,  either 
to  them  or  to  me;  and  the  origin  of  the  story  was  this: — Early  one  morning,  there 
came  on  shore  five  or  six  canoes  of  Indians  or  savages — call  them  which  you 
please — and  there  is  no  room  to  doubt  they  came  upon  the  old  errand  of  feeding 
upon  their  slaves ;  but  that  part  was  now  so  familiar  to  the  Spaniards,  and  to  our 
men  too,  that  they  did  not  concern  themselves  about  it  as  I  did :  but  having 
been  made  sensible,  by  their  experience,  that  their  only  business  was  to  lie  con- 
cealed, and  that  if  they  were  not  seen  by  any  of  the  savages   they  would   go   off 


A  Discovery.  271 

again  quietly,  when  their  business  was  done,  having,  as  yet,  not  the  least  notion 
of  there  being  any  inhabitants  in  the  island ;  I  say,  having  been  made  sensible 
of  this,  they  had  nothing  to  do  but  give  notice  to  all  the  three  plantations  to  keep 
within  doors,  and  not  show  themselves,  only  placing  a  scout  in  a  proper  place,  to 
give  notice  when  the  boats  went  to  sea  again.  This  was,  without  doubt,  very 
right ;  but  a  disaster  spoiled  all  these  measures,  and  made  it  known  among  the 
savages  that  there  were  inhabitants  there ;  which  was,  in  the  end,  the  desolation  of 
almost  the  whole  colony.  After  the  canoes  with  the  savages  were  gone  off,  the 
Spaniards  peeped  abroad  again ;  and  some  of  them  had  the  curiosity  to  go  to 
the  place  where  they  had  been,  to  see  what  they  had  been  doing.  Here,  to  their 
great  surprise,  they  found  three  savages  left  behind,  and  lying  fast  asleep  upon 
the  ground.  It  was  supposed  they  had  either  been  so  gorged  with  their  inhuman 
feast,  that,  like  beasts,  they  were  fallen  asleep  when  the  others  went,  or  they  had 
wandered  into  the  woods,  and  did  not  come  back  in  time  to  be  taken  in. 

The  Spaniards  were  greatly  surprised  at  this  sight,  and  perfectly  at  a  loss  what 
to  do.  The  Spanish  governor,  as  it  happened,  was  with  them,  and  his  advice  was 
asked,  but  he  professed  he  knew  not  what  to  do.  As  for  slaves,  they  had  enough 
already ;  and  as  to  killing  them,  there  were  none  of  them  inclined  to  do  that :  the 
Spaniard  governor  told  me,  they  could  not  think  of  shedding  innocent  blood ;  for 
as  to  them,  the  poor  creatures  had  done  them  no  wrong,  invaded  none  of  their 
property,  and  they  thought  they  had  no  just  quarrel  against  them  to  take  away 
their  lives.  And  here  I  must,  in  justice  to  these  Spaniards,  observe,  that  let  the 
accounts  of  Spanish  cruelty  in  Mexico  and  Peru  be  what  they  will,  I  never  met 
with  seventeen  men  of  any  nation  whatsoever,  in  any  foreign  country,  who  were 
so  universally  modest,  temperate,  virtuous,  so  very  good-humored,  and  so  courteous, 
as  these  Spaniards :  and  as  to  cruelty,  they  had  nothing  of  it  in  their  very  nature : 
no  inhumanity,  no  barbarity,  no  outrageous  passions ;  and  yet  all  of  them  men  of 
great  courage  and  spirit.  Their  temper  and  calmness  had  appeared  in  their  bearing 
the  insufferable  usage  of  the  three  Englishmen ;  and  their  justice  and  humanity 
appeared  now  in  the  case  of  the  savages,  as  above.  After  some  consultation,  they 
resolved  upon  this :  that  they  would  lie  still  awhile  longer,  till,  if  possible,  these 
three  men  might  be  gone.  But  then  the  governor  Spaniard  recollected  that  the 
three  savages  had  no  boat ;  and  if  they,  were  left  to  roam  about  the  island,  they 
would  certainly  discover  that  there  were  inhabitants  in  it ;  and  so  they  should  be 
undone  that  way.  Upon  this,  they  went  back  again,  and  there  lay  the  fellows  fast 
asleep  still,  so  they  resolved  to  awaken  them,  and  take  them  prisoners ;  and  they 
did  so.  The  poor  fellows  were  strangely  frightened  when  they  were  seized  upon 
and  bound ;  and  afraid,  like  the  women,  that  they  should  be  murdered  and 
eaten :  for  it  seems,  those  people  think  all  the  world  do  as  they  do,  eating 
men's  flesh ;  but  they  were  soon  made  easy  as  to  that,  and  away  they  carried 
them. 

It  was  very  happy  for  them  that  they  did  not  carry  them  home  to  their  castle 
— I  mean,  to  my  palace  under  the  hill ;  but  they  carried  them  first  to  the  bower, 
where  was  the  chief  of  their  country  work,  such  as  keeping  the  goats,  the  planting 


272 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


the  corn,  etc. ;   and  afterwards  they  carried  them 
to  the  habitation  of  the  two  Englishmen. 

Here  they  were  set  to  work,  though  it  was 
not  much  they  had  for  them  to  do  ;  and  whether 
it  was  by  negligence  in  guarding  them,  or  that 
they  thought  the  fellows  could  not  mend  them- 
selves, I  know  not,  but  one  of  them  ran  away, 
and,  taking  to  the  woods,  they  could  never  hear 
of  him  any  more. 

They  had  good  reason  to  believe 
he  got  home  again  soon  after  in 
some  other  boats  or  canoes  of  savages 
who  came  on  shore  three  or  four 
weeks  afterwards,  and  who,  carrying 
on  their  revels  as  usual,  went  off  in 
two  days'  time.  This  thought  terrified 
them  exceedingly  ;  for  they  concluded, 
and  that  not  without  good  cause  in- 
deed, that  if  this  fellow  came  home 
safe   among    his   comrades,   he   would 


certainly  give  them 
an  account  that  there 
were  people  in  the 
island,  and  also  how 
few  and  weak  they 
were  ;  for  this  savage, 
as  observed  before, 
had  never  been  told, 
and  it  was  very  happy 
he  had  not,  how 
many  there  were,  or 


THREE  SAVAGES  LEFT  BEHIND,   AND  LYING  FAST  ASLEEP  "  {p.   271). 


where     they    lived ; 

nor     had     he     ever 

seen  or  heard  the  fire  of  any  of  their  guns,  much  less  had  they  shown  him  any 

of  their  other  retired  places ;    such  as  the  cave  in  the  valley,   or  the   new  retreat 

which  the  two  Englishmen  had  made,  and  the  like. 

The  first  testimony  they  had  that  this  fellow  had  given  intelligence  of  them 


Burning  of  the  Huts.  273 

was,  that  about  two  months  after  this,  six  canoes  of  savages,  with  about  seven, 
eight,  or  ten  men  in  a  canoe,  came  rowing  along  the  north  side  of  the  island, 
where  they  never  used  to  come  before,  and  landed,  about  an  hour  after  sunrise, 
at  a  convenient  place,  about  a  mile  from  the  habitation  of  the  two  Englishmen, 
where  this  escaped  man  had  been  kept.  As  the  Spaniard  governor  said,  had  they 
been  all  there,  the  damage  would  not  have  been  so  much,  for  not  a  man  of  them 
would  have  escaped ;  but  the  case  differed  now,  very  much,  for  two  men  to  fifty 
was  too  much  odds.  The  two  men  had  the  happiness  to  discover  them  about  a 
league  off,  so  that  it  was  above  an  hour  before  they  landed ;  and  as  they  landed 
•a  mile  from  their  huts,  it  was  some  time  before  they  could  come  at  them.  Now, 
having  great  reason  to  believe  that  they  were  betrayed,  the  first  thing  they  did 
was  to  bind  the  two  slaves  which  were  left,  and  cause  two  of  the  three  men  whom 
they  brought  with  the  women  (who,  it  seems,  proved  very  faithful  to  them)  to  lead 
them,  with  their  two  wives,  and  whatever  they  could  carry  away  with  them,  to 
their  retired  places  in  the  woods,  which  I  have  spoken  of  above,  and  there  to  bind 
the  two  fellows  hand  and  foot,  till  they  heard  further. 

In  the  next  place,  seeing  the  savages  were  all  come  on  shore,  and  that  they  had 
bent  their  course  directly  that  way,  they  opened  the  fences  where  the  milch-cows 
were  kept,  and  drove  them  all  out ;  leaving  their  goats  to  straggle  in  the  woods 
whither  they  pleased,  that  the  savages  might  think  they  were  all  bred  wild ;  but 
the  rogue  who  came  with  them  was  too  cunning  for  that,  and  ,  gave  them  an 
account  of  it  all,  for  they  went  directly  to  the  place. 

When  the  two  poor  frightened  men  had  secured  their  wives  and  goods,  they 
sent  the  other  slave  they  had  of  the  three  who  came  with  the  women,  and  who 
was  at  their  place  by  accident,  away  to  the  Spaniards  with  all  speed,  to  give  them 
the  alarm,  and  desire  speedy  help,  and,  in  the  meantime,  they  took  their  arms, 
and  what  ammunition  they  had,  and  retreated  towards  the  place  in  the  wood 
where  their  wives  were  sent ;  keeping  at  a  distance,  yet  so  that  they  might  see, 
if  possible,  which  way  the  savages  took. 

They  had  not  gone  far,  but  that  from  a  rising  ground  they  could  see  the  little 
army  of  their  enemies  come  on  directly  to  their  habitation,  and,  in  a  moment 
more,  could  see  all  their  huts  and  household  stuff  flaming  up  together,  to  their 
great  grief  and  mortification ;  for  they  had  a  very  great  loss,  to  them  irretrievable, 
at  least  for  some  time.  They  kept  their  station  for  awhile,  till  they  found  the 
savages,  like  wild  beasts,  spread  themselves  all  over  the  place,  rummaging  every 
way,  and  every  place  they  could  think  of,  in  search  of  prey ;  and  in  particular  for 
the  people,  of  whom  now  it  plainly  appeared  they  had  intelligence. 

The  two  Englishmen,  seeing  this,  thinking  themselves  not  secure  where  they 
stood,  because  it  was  likely  some  of  the  wild  people  might  come  that  way,  and 
they  might  come  too  many  together,  thought  it  proper  to  make  another  retreat  about 
half  a  mile  farther ;  believing,  as  it  afterwards  happened,  that  the  farther  they 
strolled,  the  fewer  would  be  together. 

Their  next  halt  was  at  the  entrance  into  a  very  thick-grown  part  of  the  woods, 
and  where  an  old  trunk  of  a  tree  stood,  which  was  hollow  and  vastly  large ;   and 


274  Robinson  Crusoe. 

in  this  tree  they  both  took  their  standing,  resolving  to  see  there  what  might  offer. 
They  had  not  stood  there  long  before  two  of  the  savages  appeared  running  directly 
that  way,  as  if  they  already  had  notice  where  they  stood,  and  were  coming  up  to 
attack  them ;  and  a  little  way  farther  they  espied  three  more  coming  after  them, 
and  five  more  beyond  them,  all  coming  the  same  way ;  besides  which,  they  saw 
seven  or  eight  more  at  a  distance,  running  another  way ;  for,  in  a  word,  they  ran 
every  way,  like  sportsmen  beating  for  their  game. 

The  poor  men  were  now  in  great  perplexity  whether  they  should  stand  and 
keep  their  posture,  or  fly ;  but,  after  a  very  short  debate  with  themselves,  they 
considered,  that  if  the  savages  ranged  the  country  thus  before  help  came,  they 
might  perhaps  find  out  their  retreat  in  the  woods,  and  then  all  would  be  lost ;  so 
they  resolved  to  stand  them  there,  and  if  they  were  too  many  to  deal  with,  then 
they  would  get  up  to  the  top  of  the  tree,  from  whence  they  doubted  not  to 
defend  themselves,  fire  excepted,  as  long  as  their  ammunition  lasted,  though  all 
the  savages  that  were  landed,  which,  was  near  fifty,  were  to  attack  them. 

Having  resolved  upon  this,  they  next  considered  whether  they  should  fire  at  the 
first  two,  or  wait  for  the  three,  and  so  take  the  middle  party,  by  which  the  two 
and  the  five  that  followed  would  be  separated ;  at  length  they  resolved  to  let  the 
first  two  pass  by,  unless  they  should  spy  them  in  the  tree,  and  come  to  attack 
them.  The  first  two  savages  confirmed  them  also  •  in  this  resolution,  by  turning  a 
little  from  them  towards  another  part  of  the  wood ;  but  the  three,  and  the  five 
after  them,  came  forward  directly  to  the  tree,  as  if  they  had  known  the  Englishmen 
were  there.  Seeing  them  come  so  straight  towards  them,  they  resolved  to  take 
them  in  a  line  as  they  came ;  and  as  they  resolved  to  fire  but  one  at  a  time, 
perhaps  the  first  shot  might  hit  them  all  three ;  for  which  purpose  the  man  who 
was  to  fire  put  three  or  four  small  bullets  into  his  piece ;  and  having  a  fair  loop- 
hole, as  it  were,  from  a  broken  hole  in  the  tree,  he  took  a  sure  aim,  without 
being  seen,  waiting  till  they  were  within  about  thirty  yards  of  the  tree,  so  that  he 
could  not  miss. 

While  they  were  thus  waiting,  and  the  savages  came  on,  they  plainly  saw  that 
one  of  the  three  was  the  runaway  savage  that  had  escaped  from  them ;  and  they 
both  knew  him  distinctly,  and  resolved  that,  if  possible,  he  should  not  escape, 
though  they  should  both  fire :  so  the  other  stood  ready  with  his  piece,  that  if  he 
did  not  drop  at  the  first  shot,  he  should  be  sure  to  have  a  second.  But  the  first 
was  too  good  a  marksman  to  miss  his  aim ;  for  as  the  savages  kept  near  one 
another,  a  little  behind  in  a  line,  he  fired,  and  hit  two  of  them  directly :  the 
foremost  was  killed  outright,  being  shot  in  the  head ;  the  second,  which  was  the 
runaway  Indian,  was  shot  through  the  body  and  fell,  but  was  not  quite  dead ; 
and  the  third  had  a  little  scratch  in  the  shoulder,  perhaps  by  the  same  ball 
that  went  through  the  body  of  the  second ;  and  being  dreadfully  frightened,  though 
not  so  much  hurt,  sat  down  upon  the  ground,  screaming  and  yelling  in  a  hideous 
manner. 

The  five  that  were  behind,  more  frightened  with  the  noise  than  sensible  of  the 
danger,  stood  still  at  first ;  for  the  woods  made  the  sound  a  thousand  times  bigger 


A    Wrong  Step.       .  275 

than  it  really  was,  the  echoes  rattling  from  one  side  to  another,  and  the  fowls 
rising  from  all  parts,  screaming,  and  every  sort  making  a  different  noise,  according 
to  their  kind ;  just  as  it  was  when  I  fired  the  first  gun  that  perhaps  was  ever  shot 
off  in  the  island. 

However,  all  being  silent  again,  and  they  not  knowing  what  the  matter  was, 
came  on  unconcerned,  till  they  came  to  the  place  wnere  their  companions  lay  in 
a  condition  miserable  enough :  and  here  the  poor  ignorant  creatures,  not  sensible 
that  they  were  within  reach  of  the  same  mischief,  stood  altogether  over  the  wounded 
man,  talking,  and,  as  may  be  supposed,  inquiring  of  him  how  he  came  to  be  hurt : 
and  who,  it  is  very  rational  to  believe,  told  them,  that  a  flash  of  fire  first,  and 
immediately  after  that  thunder  from  their  gods,  had  killed  those  two  and  wounded 
him :  this,  I  say,  is  rational ;  for  nothing  is  more  certain  than  that,  as  they  saw 
no  man  near  them,  so  they  had  never  heard  a  gun  in  all  their  lives,  nor  so  much 
as  heard  of  a  gun ;  neither  knew  they  anything  of  killing  and  wounding  at  a 
distance  with  fire  and  bullets :  if  they  had,  one  might  reasonably  believe  they 
would  not  have  stood  so  unconcerned  to  view  the  fate  of  their  fellows,  without 
some  apprehensions  of  their  own. 

Our  two  men,  though,  as  they  confessed  to  me,  it  grieved  them  to  be  obliged 
to  kill  so  many  poor  creatures,  who,  at  the  same  time,  had  no  notion  of  their 
danger ;  yet,  having  them  all  thus  in  their  power,  and  the  first  having  to  load  his 
piece  again,  resolved  to  let  fly  both  together  among  them ;  and  singling  out,  by 
agreement,  which  to  aim  at,  they  shot  together,  and  killed,  or  very  much  wounded, 
four  of  them ;  the  fifth,  frightened  even  to  death,  though  not  hurt,  fell  with  the 
rest ;  so  that  our  men,  seeing  them  all  fall  together,  thought  they  had  killed  them 
all. 

The  belief  that  the  savages  were  all  killed  made  our  two  men  come  boldly 
out  from  the  tree  before  they  had  charged  their  guns,  which  was  a  wrong  step ; 
and  they  were  under  some  surprise  when  they  came  to  the  place,  and  found  no 
less  than  four  of  them  alive,  and  of  them  two  very  little  hurt,  and  one  not  at  all : 
this  obliged  them  to  fall  upon  them  with  the  stocks  of  their  muskets ;  and  first 
they  made  sure  of  the  runaway  savage,  that  had  been  the  cause  of  all  the  mis- 
chief, and  of  another  that  was  hurt  in  the  knee,  and  put  them  out  of  their  pain ; 
then  the  man  that  was  not  hurt  at  all  came  and  kneeled  down  to  them,  with  his 
two  hands  held  up,  and  made  piteous  moans  to  them,  by  gestures  and  signs,  for 
his  life,  but  could  not  say  one  word  to  them  that  they  could  understand.  How- 
ever, they  made  signs  to  him  to  sit  down  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  hard  by ;  and  one 
of  the  Englishmen,  with  a  piece  of  rope-twine,  which  he  had  by  great  chance  in 
his  pocket,  tied  his  two  hands  behind  him,  and  there  they  left  him ;  and  with  what 
speed  they  could  make  after  the  other  two,  which  were  gone  before,  fearing  they, 
or  any  of  them,  should  find  their  way  to  the  covered  place  in  the  woods,  where 
their  wives  and  the  few  goods  they  had  left  lay.  They  came  once  in  sight  of  the 
two  men,  but  it  was  at  a  great  distance  ;  however,  they  had  the  satisfaction  to  see 
them  cross  over  a  valley  towards  the  sea,  quite  the  contrary  way  from  that  which 
led  to  their  retreat,  which  they  were  afraid  of ;   and  being  satisfied  with  that,  they 


276  Robinson  Crusoe. 

went  back  to  the  tree  where  they  left  their  prisoner,  who,  as  they  supposed,  was 
delivered  by  his  comrades,  for  he  was  gone,  and  the  two  pieces  of  rope-yarn,  with 
which  they  had  bound  him,  lay  just  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 

They  were  now  in  as  great  concern  as  before,  not  knowing  what  course  to 
take,  or  how  near  the  enemy  might  be,  or  in  what  number ;  so  they  resolved  to 
go  away  to  the  place  where  their  wives  were,  to  see  if  all  was  well  there,  and  to 
make  them  easy,  who  were  in  fright  enough  to  be  sure ;  for  though  the  savages 
were  their  own  countrymen,  yet  they  were  most  terribly  afraid  of  them,  and  per- 
haps the  more  for  the  knowledge  they  had  of  them. 

When  they  came  there,  they  found  the  savages  had  been  in  the  wood,  and  very 
near  that  place,  but  had  not  found  it ;  for  it  was  indeed  inaccessible,  from  the 
trees  standing  so  thick,  unless  the  persons  seeking  it  had  been  directed  by  those 
that  knew  it,  which  these  were  not ;  they  found,  therefore,  everything  very  safe, 
only  the  women  in  a  terrible  fright.  While  they  were  here,  they  had  the  comfort 
to  have  seven  of  the  Spaniards  come  to  their  assistance ;  the  other  ten,  with  their 
servants,  and  old  Friday  (I  mean  Friday's  father),  were  gone  in  a  body  to  defend 
their  bower,  and  the  corn  and  cattle  that  were  kept  there,  in  case  the  savages 
should  have  roved  over  to  that  side  of  the  country ;  but  they  did  not  spread  so 
far.  With  the  seven  Spaniards  came  one  of  the  three  savages,  who,  as  I  said, 
were  their  prisoners  formerly ;  and  with  them  also  carne  the  savage  whom  the 
Englishman  had  left  bound  hand  and  foot  at  the  tree ;  for  it  seems  they  came 
that  way,  saw  the  slaughter  of  the  seven  men,  and  unbound  the  eighth,  and 
brought  him  along  with  them ;  where,  however,  they  were  obliged  to  bind  him 
again,  as  they  had  done  the  two  others  who  were  left  when  the  third  ran  away. 

The  prisoners  now  began  to  be  a  burden  to  them  ;  and  they  were  so  afraid  of 
their  escaping,  that  they  were  once  resolving  to  kill  them  all,  believing  they  were 
under  an  absolute  necessity  to  do  so  for  their  own  preservation.  However,  the 
Spaniard  governor  would  not  consent  to  it,  but  ordered,  for  the  present,  that  they 
should  be  sent  out  of  the  way,  to  my  old  cave  in  the  valley,  and  be  kept  there, 
with  two  Spaniards  to  guard  them,  and  give  them  food  for  their  subsistence,  which 
was  done ;   and  they  were  bound  there  hand  and  foot  for  that  night. 

When  the  Spaniards  came,  the  two  Englishmen  were  so  encouraged,  that  they 
could  not  satisfy  themselves  to  stay  any  longer  there ;  but  taking  five  of  the 
Spaniards  and  themselves,  with  four  muskets  and  a  pistol  among  them,  and  two 
stout  quarter-staves,  away  they  went  in  quest  of  the  savages.  And  first  they  came 
to  the  tree  where  the  men  lay  that  had  been  killed ;  but  it  was  easy  to  see  that 
some  more  of  the  savages  had  been  there,  for  they  had  attempted  to  carry  their 
dead  men  away,  and  had  dragged  two  of  them  a  good  way,  but  had  given  it  over. 
From  thence  they  advanced  to  the  first  rising  ground,  where  they  had  stood  and 
seen  their  camp  destroyed,  and  where  they  had  the  mortification  still  to  see  some 
of  the  smoke ;  but  neither  could  they  here  see  any  of  the  savages.  They  then 
resolved,  though  with  all  possible  caution,  to  go  forward  towards  their  ruined  plan- 
tation ;  but,  a  little  before  they  came  thither,  coming  in  sight  of  the  sea-shore,  they 
saw  plainly  the  savages  all  embarking  again  in  their  canoes,  in  order  to  be  gone. 


Ruin. 


277 


They  seemed  very  sorry,  at  first,  that  there  was  no  way  to  come  at  them,  to  give  them 
a  parting  blow ;  but,  upon  the  whole,  they  were  very  well  satisfied  to  be  rid  of 
them. 

The  poor  Englishmen  being  now  twice  ruined,  and  all  their  improvements 
destroyed,  the  rest  all  agreed  to  come  and  help  them  to  rebuild,  and  assist  them 
with  needful  supplies.  Their  three  countrymen,  who  were  not  yet  noted  for  having 
the  least  inclination   to  do  any  good,  yet  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  it  (for  they, 


"ALL   THEIR   HUTS   AND    HOUSEHOLD    STUFF    FLAMING    UP    TOGETHER"    ( p«   273). 


living  remote  eastward,  knew  nothing  of  the  matter  till  all  was  over),  came  and 
offered  their  help  and  assistance,  and  did,  very  friendly,  work  for  several  days  to 
restore  their  habitations,  and  make  necessaries  for  them.  And  thus  in  a  little 
time  they  were  set  upon  their  legs  again. 

About  two  days  after  this  they  had  the  further  satisfaction  of  seeing  three  of 
the  savages'  canoes  come  driving  on  shore,  and,  at  some  distance  from  them,  two 
drowned  men,  by  which  they  had  reason  to  believe  that  they  had  met  with  a 
storm  at  sea,  which  had  overset  some  of  them ;  for  it  had  blown  very  hard  the 
night  after  they  went  off. 

However,   as    some  might  miscarry,   so,   on    the    other  hand,   enough  of  them 


278  Robinson  Crusoe. 

escaped  to  inform  the  rest,  as  well  of  what  they  had  done  as  of  what  had  hap- 
pened to  them,  and  to  whet  them  on  to  another  enterprise  of  the  same  nature, 
which  they,  it  seems,  resolved  to  attempt,  with  sufficient  force  to  carry  all  before 
them ;  for  except  what  the  first  man  had  told  them  of  inhabitants,  they  could  say 
little  of  it  of  their  own  knowledge,  for  they  never  saw  one  man ;  and  the  fellow 
being  killed  that  had  affirmed  it,  they  had  no  other  witness  to  confirm  it  to  them. 

It  was  five  or  six  months  after  this  before  they  heard  an)'  more  of  the  savages, 
in  which  time  our  men  were  in  hopes  they  had  either  forgot  their  former  bad 
luck,  or  given  over  hopes  of  better ;  when,  on  a  sudden,  they  were  invaded  by  a 
most  formidable  fleet  of  no  less  than  eight-and-twenty  canoes,  full  of  savages, 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  great  clubs,  wooden  swords,  and  such  like  engines 
of  war ;  and  they  brought  such  numbers  with  them,  that,  in  short,  it  put  all  our 
people  into  the  utmost  consternation. 

As  they  came  on  shore  in  the  evening,  and  at  the  easternmost  side  of  the 
island,  our  men  had  that  night  to  consult  and  consider  what  to  do ;  and  in  the 
first  place,  knowing  that  their  being  entirely  concealed  was  their  only  safety  before, 
and  would  be  much  more  so  now,  while  the  number  of  their  enemies  would  be  so 
great,  they  therefore  resolved,  first  of  all,  to  take  down  the  huts  which  were  built 
for  the  two  Englishmen,  and  drive  away  their  goats  to  the  old  cave ;  because  they 
supposed  the  savages  would  go  directly  thither,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  to  play  the 
old  game  over  again,  though  they  did  not  now  land  within  two  leagues  of  it.  In 
the  next  place,  they  drove  away  all  the  flocks  of  goats  they  had  at  the  old  bower, 
as  I  called  it,  which  belonged  to  the  Spaniards ;  and,  in  short,  left  as  little 
appearance  of  inhabitants  anywhere  as  was  possible ;  and  the  next  morning  early 
they  posted  themselves,  with  all  their  force,  at  the  plantation  of  the  two  men,  to 
await  for  their  coming.  As  they  guessed,  so  it  happened:  these  new  invaders, 
leaving  their  canoes  at  the  east  end  of  the  island,  came  ranging  along  the  shore, 
directly  towards  the  place,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  as  near  as 
our  men  could  judge.  Our  army  was  but  small,  indeed;  but  that  which  was 
worse,  they  had  not  arms  for  all  their  number  neither.  The  whole  account,  it 
seems,  stood  thus :  first,  as  to  men,  seventeen  Spaniards,  five  Englishmen,  old 
Friday  (or  Friday's  father),  the  three  slaves  taken  with  the  women,  who  proved 
very  faithful,  and  three  other  slaves,  who  lived  with  the  Spaniards.  To  arm  these, 
they  had  eleven  muskets,  five  pistols,  three  fowling-pieces,  five  muskets  or  fowling- 
pieces,  which  were  taken  by  me  from  the  mutinous  seamen  whom  I  reduced,  two 
swords,  and  three  old  halberts. 

To  their  slaves  they  did  not  give  either  musket  or  fusee ;  but  they  had  each  a 
halbert,  or  a  long  staff,  like  a  quarter-staff,  with  a  great  spike  of  iron  fastened  into 
each  end  of  it,  and  by  his  side  a  hatchet ;  also  every  one  of  our  men  had  a  hatchet. 
Two  of  the  women  could  not  be  prevailed  upon,  but  they  would  come  into  the 
fight,  and  they  had  bows  and  arrows,  which  the  Spaniards  had  taken  from  the 
savages  when  the  first  action  happened,  which  I  have  spoken  of,  where  the  Indians 
fought  with  one  another ;   and  the  women  had  hatchets  too. 

The  Spaniard  governor,  whom  I  described  so  often,  commanded  the  whole ;   and 


The  Fight  Continued.  279 

Will  Atkins,  who,  though  a  dreadful  fellow  for  wickedness,  was  a  most  daring,  bold 
fellow,  commanded  under  him.  The  savages  came  forward  like  lions ;  and  our 
men,  which  was  the  worst  of  their  fate,  had  no  advantage  in  their  situation ;  only 
that  Will  Atkins,  who  now  proved  a  most  useful  fellow,  with  six  men,  was  planted 
just  behind  a  small  thicket  of  bushes,  as  an  advanced  guard,  with  orders  to  let 
the  first  of  them  pass  by,  and  then  fire  into  the  middle  of  them,  and  as  soon  as 
he  had  fired,  to  make  his  retreat  as  nimbly  as  he  could  round  a  part  of  the  wood, 
and  so  come  in  behind  the  Spaniards,  where  they  stood,  having  a  thicket  of  trees 
before  them. 

When  the  savages  came  on,  they  ran  straggling  about  every  way  in  heaps,  out 
of  all  manner  of  order,  and  Will  Atkins  let  about  fifty  of  them  pass  by  him ;  then 
seeing  the  rest  come  in  a  very  thick  throng,  he  orders  three  of  his  men  to  fire, 
having  loaded  their  muskets  with  six  or  seven  bullets  apiece,  about  as  big  as  large 
pistol  bullets.  How  many  they  killed  or  wounded  they  knew  not,  but  the  consterna- 
tion and  surprise  was  inexpressible  among  the  savages ;  they  were  frightened  to  the 
last  degree  to  hear  such  a  dreadful  noise,  and  see  their  men  killed,  and  others 
hurt,  but  see  nobody  that  did  it ;  when,  in  the  middle  of  their  fright,  Will  Atkins 
and  his  other  three  let  fly  again  among  the  thickest  of  them ;  and  in  less  than  a 
minute,  the  first  three  being  loaded  again,  gave  them  a  third  volley. 

Had  Will  Atkins  and  his  men  retired  immediately,  as  soon  as  they  had  fired, 
as  they  were  ordered  to  do,  or  had  the  rest  of  the  body  been  at  hand,  to  have 
poured  in  their  shot  continually,  the  savages  had  been  effectually  routed ;  for  the 
terror  that  was  among  them  came  principally  from  this,  that  they  were  killed  by 
the  gods  with  thunder  and  lightning,  and  could  see  nobody  that  hurt  them ;  but 
Will  Atkins,  staying  to  load  again,  discovered  the  cheat :  some  of  the  savages  who 
were  at  a  distance  spying  them,  came  upon  them  behind ;  and  though  Atkins  and 
his  men  fired  at  them  also  two  or  three  times,  and  killed  above  twenty,  retiring  as 
fast  as  they  could,  yet  they  wounded  Atkins  himself,  and  killed  one  of  his  fellow 
Englishmen  with  their  arrows,  as  they  did  afterwards  one  Spaniard,  and  one  of  the 
Indian  slaves  who  came  with  the  women.  This  slave  was  a  most  gallant  fellow, 
and  fought  most  desperately,  killing  five  of  them  with  his  own  hand,  having  no 
weapon  but  one  of  the  armed  staves  and  a  hatchet. 

Our  men  being  thus  hard  laid  at,  Atkins  wounded,  and  two  other  men  killed, 
retreated  to  a  rising  ground  in  the  wood ;  and  the  Spaniards,  after  firing  three 
volleys  upon  them,  retreated  also ;  for  their  number  was  so  great,  and  they  were 
so  desperate,  that  though  above  fifty  of  them  were  killed,  and  more  than  as  many 
wounded,  yet  they  came  on  in  the  teeth  of  our  men,  fearless  of  danger,  and  shot 
their  arrows  like  a  cloud ;  and  it  was  observed  that  their  wounded  men,  who 
were  not  quite  disabled,  were  made  outrageous  by  their  wounds,  and  fought  like 
madmen. 

When  our  men  retreated,  they  left  the  Spaniard  and  Englishmen  that  were 
killed  behind  them ;  and  the  savages,  when  they  came  up  to  them,  killed  them 
over  again  in  a  wretched  manner,  breaking  their  arms,  legs,  and  heads,  with  their 
clubs  and  wooden  swords,  like  true  savages ;  but  finding  our  men  were  gone,  they 


280  Robinson  Crusoe. 

did  not  seem  to  pursue  them,  but  drew  themselves  up  in  a  ring,  which  is,  it  seems, 
their  custom,  and  shouted  twice,  in  token  of  their  victory ;  after  which,  they  had 
the  mortification  to  see  several  of  their  wounded  men  fall,  dying  with  the  mere 
loss  of  blood. 

The  Spaniard  governor  having  drawn  his  little  body  up  together  upon  a  rising 
ground,  Atkins,  though  he  was  wounded,  would  have  had  them  march  and  charge 
again  altogether  at  once :   but  the  Spaniard  replied — "  Seignior  Atkins,  you  see  how 


"CAME    RANGING    ALONG    THE    SHORE"    (/.   278). 


their  wounded  men  fight ;  let  them  alone  till  morning ;  all  the  wounded  men  will 
be  stiff  and  sore  with  their  wounds,  and  faint  with  the  loss  of  blood  ;  and  so  we 
shall  have  the  fewer  to  engage."  This  advice  was  good :  but  Will  Atkins  replied 
merrily,  "  That  is  true,  seignior,  and  so  shall  I  too ;  and  that  is  the  reason  I 
would  go  on  while  I  am  warm."  "  Well,  Seignior  Atkins,"  says  the  Spaniard, 
"  you  have  behaved  gallantly,  and  done  your  part ;  we  will  fight  for  you  if  you 
cannot  come  on ;   but  I  think  it  best  to  stay  till  morning :  "  so  they  waited. 

But  as  it  was  a  clear  moonlight  night,  and  they  found  the  savages  in  great 
disorder  about  their  dead  and  wounded  men,  and  a  great  noise  and  hurry  among 
them  where  they  lay,  they  afterwards  resolved  to  fall  upon  them  in  the  night ; 
especially  if  they  could  come  to  give  them  but  one  volley  before  they  were  dis- 
covered, which  they  had  a  fair  opportunity  to  do :  for  one  of  the  Englishmen  in 
whose  quarter  it  was  where  the  fight  began,  led   them  round  between  the  woods 


Victory.  281 

and  the  seaside  westward,  and  then  turning  short  south,  they  came  so  near  where 
the  thickest  of  them  lay,  that,  before  they  were  seen  or  heard,  eight  of  them 
fired  in  upon  them,  and  did  dreadful  execution  upon  them ;  in  half  a  minute  more, 
eight  others  fired  after  them,  pouring  in  their  small  shot  in  such  a  quantity,  that 
abundance  were  killed  and  wounded ;  and  all  this  while  they  were  not  able  to 
see  who  hurt  them,  or  which  way  to  fly. 

The  Spaniards  charged  again  with  the  utmost  expedition,  and  then  divided 
themselves  into  three  bodies,  and  resolved  to  fall  in  among  them  altogether. 
They  had  in  each  body  eight  persons,  that  is  to  say,  twenty-two  men,  and  the 
two  women,  who,  by  the  way,  fought  desperately.  They  divided  the  fire-arms 
equally  in  each  party,  as  well  as  the  halberts  and  staves.  They  would  have  had 
the  women  kept  back,  but  they  said  they  were  resolved  to  die  with  their  husbands. 
Having  thus  formed  their  little  army,  they  marched  out  from  among  the  trees,  and 
came  up  to  the  teeth  of  the  enemy,  shouting  and  hallooing  as  loud  as  they  could ; 
the  savages  stood  all  together,  but  were  in  the  utmost  confusion,  hearing  the  noise 
of  our  men  shouting  from  three  quarters  together :  they  would  have  fought  if  they 
had  seen  us ;  for  as  soon  as  we  came  near  enough  to  be  seen,  some  arrows  were 
shot,  and  poor  old  Friday  was  wounded,  though  not  dangerously ;  but  our  men 
gave  them  no  time,  but,  running  up  to  them,  fired  among  them  three  ways,  and 
then  fell  in  with  the  butt-ends  of  their  muskets,  their  swords,  armed  staves,  and 
hatchets,  and  laid  about  them  so  well,  that,  in  a  word,  they  set  up  a  dismal 
screaming  and  howling,  flying  to  save  their  lives  which  way  soever  they  could. 

Our  men  were  tired  with  the  execution,  and  killed  or  mortally  wounded  in  the 
two  fights -about  one  hundred  and  eighty  of  them;  the  rest,  being  frightened  out 
of  their  wits,  scoured  through  the  woods  and  over  the  hills,  with  all  the  speed  fear 
and  nimble  feet  could  help  them  to ;  and  as  we  did  not  trouble  ourselves  much 
to  pursue  them,  they  got  all  together  to  the  seaside  where  they  landed,  and  where 
their  canoes  lay.  But  their  disaster  was  not  at  an  end  yet ;  for  it  blew  a  terrible 
storm  of  wind  that  evening  from  the  sea,  so  that  it  was  impossible  for  them  to 
go  off ;  nay,  the  storm  continuing  all  night,  when  the  tide  came  up,  their  canoes 
were  most  of  them  driven  by  the  surge  of  the  sea  so  high  upon  the  shore  that  it 
required  infinite  toil  to  get  them  off ;  and  some  of  them  were  even  dashed  to  pieces 
against  the  beach,  or  against  one  another. 

Our  men,  though  glad  of  their  victory,  yet  got  little  rest  that  night ;  but  having 
refreshed  themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  they  resolved  to  march  to  that  part  of 
the  island  where  the  savages  were  fled,  and  see  what  posture  they  were  in.  This 
necessarily  led  them  over  the  place  where  the  fight  had  been,  and  where  they 
found  several  of  the  poor  creatures  not  quite  dead,  and  yet  past  recovering  life ; 
a  sight  disagreeable  enough  to  generous  minds,  for  a  truly  great  man,  though 
obliged  by  the  law  of  battle  to  destroy  his  enemy,  takes  no  delight  in  his  misery. 
However,  there  was  no  need  to  give  any  orders  in  this  case ;  for  their  own  savages, 
who  were  their  servants,  dispatched  these  poor  creatures  with  their  hatchets. 

At  length  they  came  in  view  of  the  place  where  the  more  miserable  remains  of 
the  savages'  army  lay,  where  there  appeared  about  a  hundred  still ;    their  posture 


282  Robinson  Crusoe. 

was  generally  sitting  upon  the  ground,  with  their  knees  up  towards  their  mouth, 
and  the  head  put  between  the  two  hands,  leaning  down  upon  the  knees. 

When  our  men  came  within  two  musket-shots  of  them,  the  Spaniard  governor 
ordered  two  muskets  to  be  fired,  without  ball,  to  alarm  them ;  this  he  did,  that  by 
their  countenance  he  might  know  what  to  expect,  whether  they  were  still  in  heart 
to  fight,  or  were  so  heartily  beaten  as  to  be  dispirited  and  discouraged,  and  so  he 
might  manage  accordingly.  This  stratagem  took  :  for  as  soon  as  the  savages  heard 
the  first  gun,  and  saw  the  flash  of  the  second,  they  started  up  upon  their  feet  in 
the  greatest  consternation  imaginable ;  and  as  our  men  advanced  swiftly  towards 
them,  they  all  ran  screaming  and  yelling  away,  with  a  kind  of  howling  noise,  which 
our  men  did  not  understand,  and  had  never  heard  before ;  and  thus  they  ran  up 
the  hills  into  the  country. 

At  first  our  men  had  much  rather  the  weather  had  been  calm,  and  they  had 
all  gone  away  to  sea ;  but  they  did  not  then  consider  that  this  might  probably 
have  been  the  occasion  of  their  coming  again  in  such  multitudes  as  not  to  be 
resisted,  or,  at  least,  to  come  so  many  and  so  often  as  would  quite  desolate  the 
island,  and  starve  them.  Will  Atkins,  therefore,  who,  notwithstanding  his  wound, 
kept  always  with  them,  proved  the  best  counselor  in  this  case ;  his  advice  was, 
to  take  the  advantage  that  offered,  and  step  in  between  them  and  their  boats, 
and  so  deprive  them  of  the  capacity  of  ever  returning  any  more  to  plague  the 
island. 

They  consulted  long  about  this;-  and  some  were  against  it  for  fear  of  making 
the  wretches  fly  to  the  woods  and  live  there  desperate,  and  so  they  should  have 
them  to  hunt  like  wild  beasts,  be  afraid  to  stir  out  about  their  business,  and  have 
their  plantations  continually  rifled,  all  their  tame  goats  destroyed,  and,  in  short,  be 
reduced  to  a  life  of  continual  distress. 

Will  Atkins  told  them  they  had  better  have  to  do  with  a  hundred  men  than 
with  a  hundred  nations ;  that  as  they  must  destroy  their  boats,  so  they  must  destroy 
the  men,  or  be  all  of  them  destroyed  themselves.  In  a  word,  he  showed  the 
necessity  of  it  so  plainly  that  they  all  came  into  it ;  so  they  went  to  work  im- 
mediately with  the  boats,  and  getting  some  dry  wood  together  from  a  dead  tree, 
they  tried  to  set  some  of  them  on  fire,  but  they  were  so  wet  that  they  would  not 
burn ;  however,  the  fire  so  burned  the  upper  part  that  it  soon  made  them  unfit 
for  swimming  in  the  sea  as  boats.  When  the  Indians  saw  what  they  wrere  about, 
some  of  them  came  running  out  of  the  woods,  and  coming  as  near  as  they  could 
to  our  men,  kneeled  down  and  cried,  "  Oa,  Oa,  Waramokoa!"  and  some  other 
words  of  their  language,  which  none  of  the  others  understood  anything  of ;  but  as 
they  made  pitiful  gestures  and  strange  noises,  it  was  easy  to  understand  they  begged 
to  have  their  boats  spared,  and  that  they  would  be  gone,  and  never  come  there 
again.  But  our  men  were  now  satisfied  that  they  had  no  way  to  preserve  them- 
selves, or  to  save  their  colony,  but  effectually  to  prevent  any  of  these  people  from 
ever  going  home  again,  depending  upon  this,  that  if  even  so  much  as  one  of 
them  got  back  into  their  country  to  tell  the  story,  the  colony  was  undone ;  so 
that,  letting  them  know  that  they  should  not  have  any  mercy,  they  fell  to  work 


After  the  Fight.  283 

with  their  canoes,  and  destroyed  every  one  that  the  storm  had  not  destroyed  before ; 
at  the  sight  of  which  the  savages  raised  a  hideous  cry  in  the  woods,  which  our 
people  heard  plain  enough,  after  which  they  ran  about  the  island  like  distracted 
men,  so  that,  in  a  word,  our  men  did  not  really  know  what  at  first  to  do  with 
them.  Nor  did  the  Spaniards,  with  all  their  prudence,  consider  that  while  they 
made  those  people  thus  desperate,  they  ought  to  have  kept  a  good  guard  at  the 
same  time  upon  their  plantations ;  for  though  it  is  true,  they  had  driven  away  their 
cattle,  and  the  Indians  did  not  find  out  their  main  retreat — I  mean  my  old  castle 
at  the  hill,  nor  uhe  cave  in  the  valley — yet  they  found  out  my  plantation  at  the 
bower,  and  pulled  it  all  to  pieces,  and  all  the  fences  and  planting  about  it ;  trod 
all  the  corn  under  foot,  tore  up  the  vines  and  grapes,  being  just  then  almost  ripe, 
and  did  our  men  an  inestimable  damage,  though  to  themselves  not  one  farthing's 
worth  of  service. 

Though  our  men  were  able  to  fight  them  upon  all  occasions,  yet  they  were  in 
no  condition  to  pursue  them,  or  hunt  them  up  and  down ;  for  as  they  were  too 
nimble  of  foot  for  our  men  when  they  found  them  single,  so  our  men  durst  not 
go  abroad  single,  for  fear  of  being  surrounded  with  their  numbers.  The  best 
was,  they  had  no  weapons ;  for  though  they  had  bows,  they  had  no  arrows  left, 
nor  any  materials  to  make  any ;  nor  had  they  any  edge-tool  or  weapon  among 
them. 

The  extremity  and  distress  they  were  reduced  to  was  great,  and  indeed  deplor- 
able ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  our  men  were  also  brought  to  very  bad  circumstances 
by  them ;  for  though  their  retreats .  were  preserved,  yet  their  provision  was  de- 
stroyed, and  their  harvest  spoiled,  and  what  to  do,  or  which  way  to  turn  them- 
selves, they  knew  not.  The  only  refuge  they  had  now  was  the  stock  of  cattle  they 
had  in  the  valley  by  the  cave,  and  some  little  corn  which  grew  there,  and  the 
plantation  of  the  three  Englishmen,  Will  Atkins  and  his  comrades,  who  were  now 
reduced  to  two ;  one  of  them  being  killed  by  an  arrow,  which  struck  him  on  the 
side  of  his  head,  just  under  the  temples,  so  that  he  never  spoke  more ;  and  it 
was  very  remarkable  that  this  was  the  same  barbarous  fellow  that  cut  the  poor 
savage  slave  with  his  hatchet,  and  who  afterwards  intended  to  have  murdered  the 
Spaniards. 

I  looked  upon  their  case  to  have  been  worse  at  this  time  than  mine  was  at 
any  time,  after  I  first  discovered  the  grains  of  barley  and  rice,  and  got  into  the 
manner  of  planting  and  raising  my  corn,  and  my  tame  cattle  ;  for  now  they  had, 
as  I  may  say,  a  hundred  wolves  upon  the  island  which  would  devour  everything 
they  could  come  at,  yet  could  be  hardly  come  at  themselves. 

When  they  saw  what  their  circumstances  were,  the  first  thing  they  concluded 
was,  that  they  would,  if  possible,  drive  them  up  to  the  farther  part  of  the  island, 
south-west,  that  if  any  more  savages  came  on  shore  they  might  not  find  one 
another ;  then,  that  they  would  daily  hunt  and  harass  them,  and  kill  as  many  of 
them  as  they  could  come  at,  till  they  had  reduced  their  number ;  and  if  they  could 
at  last  tame  them,  and  bring  them  to  anything,  they  would  give  them  corn,  and 
teach  them  how  to  plant,  and  live  upon  their  daily  labor. 


284  Robinson  Crusoe. 

In  order  to  do  this,  they  so  followed  them,  and  so  terrified  them  with  then- 
guns,  that  in  a  few  days,  if  any  of  them  fired  a  gun  at  an  Indian,  if  he  did  not 
hit  him,  yet  he  would  fall  down  for  fear ;  and  so  dreadfully  frightened  they  were 
that  they  kept  out  of  sight  farther  and  farther;  till,  at  last,  our  men  following 
them,  and  almost  every  day  killing  or  wounding  some  of  them,  they  kept  up  in 
the  woods  or  hollow  places  so  much  that  it  reduced  them  to  the  utmost  misery 
for  want  of  food ;  and  many  were  afterwards  found  dead  in  the  woods,  without 
any  hurt,  absolutely  starved  to  death. 

When  our  men  found  this  it  made  their  hearts  relent,  and  pity  moved  them, 
especially  the  Spaniard  governor,  who  was  the  most  gentleman-like,  generous- 
minded  man  that  I  ever  met  with  in  my  life ;  and  he  proposed,  if  possible,  to 
take  one  of  them  alive,  and  bring  him  to  understand  what  they  meant,  so  far  as 
to  be  able  to  act  as  interpreter,  and  go  among  them  and  see  if  they  might  be 
brought  to  some  conditions  that  might  be  depended  upon,  to  save  their  lives  and 
do  us  no  harm. 

It  was  some  while  before  any  of  them  could  be  taken ;  but  being  weak  and 
half-starved,  one  of  them  was  at  last  surprised  and  made  a  prisoner.  He  was 
sullen  at  first,  and  would  neither  eat  nor  drink ;  but  finding  himself  kindly  used, 
and  victuals  given  to  him,  and  no  violence  offered  him,  he  at  last  grew  tractable, 
and  came  to  himself.  They  brought  old  Friday  to  him,  who  talked  often  with  him, 
and  told  him  how  kind  the  others  would  be  to  them  all ;  that  they  would  not 
only  save  their  lives,  but  give  them  part  of  the  island  to  live  in,  provided  they 
would  give  satisfaction  that  they  would  keep  in  their  own  bounds,  and  not  come 
beyond  it  to  injure  or  prejudice  others ;  and  that  they  should  have  corn  given 
them  to  plant  and  make  it  grow  for  their  bread,  and  some  bread  given  them  for 
their  present  subsistence :  and  old  Friday  bade  the  fellow  go  and  talk  with  the 
rest  of  his  countrymen,  and  see  what  they  said  to  it ;  assuring  them  that,  if  they 
did  not  agree  immediately,  they  should  be  all  destroyed. 

The  poor  wretches,  thoroughly  humbled,  and  reduced  in  number  to  about 
thirty-seven,  closed  with  the  proposal  at  the  first  offer,  and  begged  to  have  some 
food  given  them ;  upon  which,  twelve  Spaniards  and  two  Englishmen,  well  armed, 
with  three  Indian  slaves  and  old  Friday,  marched  to  the  place  where  they  were. 
The  three  Indian  slaves  carried  them  a  large  quantity  of  bread,  some  rice  boiled 
up  to  cakes  and  dried  in  the  sun,  and  three  live  goats ;  and  they  were  ordered  to 
go  to  the  side  of  a  hill,  where  they  sat  down,  ate  their  provisions  very  thankfully, 
and  were  the  most  faithful  fellows  to  their  words  that  could  be  thought  of ;  for, 
except  when  they  came  to  beg  victuals  and  directions,  they  never  came  out  of  their 
bounds ;   and  there  they  lived  when  I  came  to  the  island,  and  I  went  to  see  them. 

They  had  taught  them  both  to  plant  corn,  make  bread,  breed  tame  goats,  and 
milk  them :  they  wanted  nothing  but  wives,  and  they  soon  would  have  been  a 
nation.  They  were  confined  to  a  neck  of  land,  surrounded  with  high  rocks  behind 
them,  and  lying  plain  towards  the  sea  before  them,  on  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
island.  They  had  land  enough,  and  it  was  very  good  and  fruitful ;  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  broad,  and  three  or  four  miles  in  length. 


Teaching  the  Savages. 


285 


Our  men  taught  them  to  make  wooden  spades,  such  as  I  made  for  myself,  and 
gave  among  them  twelve  hatchets  and  three  or  four  knives ;  and  there  they  lived, 
the  most  subjected,  innocent  creatures  that  ever  were  heard  of. 

After  this,  the  colony  enjoyed  a  perfect  tranquillity,  with  respect  to  the  savages, 
till   I   came  to  revisit  them,  which  was  about  two  years  after ;   not  but  that,  now 


"dispatched  these  poor  creatures"  (/.  281). 


and  then,  some  canoes  of  savages  came  on  shore  for  their  triumphal,  unnatural 
feasts ;  but  as  they  were  of  several  nations,  and  perhaps  had  never  heard  of  those 
that  came  before,  or  the  reason  of  it,  they  did  not  make  any  search  or  inquiry 
after  their  countrymen ;  and  if  they  had,  it  would  have  been  very  hard  to  have 
found  them  out. 


286  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Thus,  I  think,  I  have  given  a  full  account  of  all  that  happened  to  them  till 
my  return,  at  least,  that  was  worth  notice.  The  Indians  or  savages  were  wonder- 
fully civilized  by  them,  and  they  frequently  went  among  them ;  but  forbid,  on 
pain  of  death,  any  of  the  Indians  coming  to  them,  because  they  would  not  have 
their  settlement  betrayed  again.  One  thing  was  very  remarkable,  viz.,  that  they 
taught  the  savages  to  make  wicker-work,  or  baskets :  but  they  soon  outdid  their 
masters ;  for  they  made  abundance  of  most  ingenious  things  in  wicker-work,  par- 
ticularly of  all  sorts  of  baskets,  sieves,  bird-cages,  cupboards,  etc. ;  as  also  chairs 
to  sit  on,  stools,  beds,  couches,  and  abundance  of  other  things ;  being  very  ingen- 
ious at  such  work,  when  they  were  once  put  in  the  way  of  it. 

My  coming  was  a  particular  relief  to  these  people,  because  we  furnished  them 
with  knives,  scissors,  spades,  shovels,  pickaxes,  and  all  things  of  that  kind  which 
they  could  want.  With  the  help  of  those  tools,  they  were  so  very  handy  that  they 
came  at  last  to  build  up  their  huts  or  houses  very  handsomely,  raddling  or  working 
it  up  like  basket-work  all  the  way  round ;  which  was  a  very  extraordinary  piece  of 
ingenuity,  arid  looked  very  odd,  but  was  an  exceeding  good  fence,  as  well  against 
heat  as  against  all  sorts  of  vermin ;  and  our  men  were  so  taken  with  it,  that  they 
got  the  wild  savages  to  come  and  do  the  like  for  them  ;  so  that  when  I  came  to 
see  the  two  Englishmen's  colonies,  they  looked,  at  a.  distance,  as  if  they  all  lived 
like  bees  in  a  hive.  As  for  Will  Atkins,  who  was  now  become  a  very  industrious, 
useful,  and  sober  fellow,  he  had  made  himself  such  a  tent  of  basket-work  as,  I 
believe,  was  never  seen ;  it  was  one  hundred  and  twenty  paces  round  on  the  out- 
side, as  I  measured  it  by  my  steps ;  the  walls  were  as  close  worked  as  a  basket, 
in  panels  or  squares  of  thirty-two  in  number,  and  very  strong,  standing  about  seven 
feet  high ;  in  the  middle  was  another  not  above  twenty-two  paces  round,  but  built 
stronger,  being  octagon  in  its  form,  and  in  the  eight  corners  stood  eight  very 
strong  posts ;  round  the  top  of  which  he  laid  strong  pieces,  pinned  together  with 
wooden  pins,  from  which  he  raised  a  pyramid  for  a  roof  of  eight  rafters,  very 
handsome,  I  assure  you,  and  joined  together  very  well,  though  he  had  no  nails, 
and  only  a  few  iron  spikes,  which  he  made  himself  too,  out  of  the  old  iron  that 
I  had  left  there  ;  and,  indeed,  this  fellow  showed  abundance  of  ingenuity  in  several 
things  which  he  had  no  knowledge  of:  he  made  him  a  forge,  with  a  pair  of  wooden 
bellows  to  blow  the  fire  ;  he  made  himself  charcoal  for  his  work ;  and  he  formed 
out  of  the  iron  crows  a  middling  good  anvil  to  hammer  upon  :  in  this  manner  he 
made  many  things,  but  especially  hooks,  staples,  and  spikes,  bolts,  and  hinges. 
But  to  return  to  the  house :  after  he  had  pitched  the  roof  of  his  innermost  tent, 
he  worked  it  up  between  the  rafters  with  basket-work,  so  firm,  and  thatched  that 
over  again  so  ingeniously  with  rice  straw,  and  over  that  a  large  leaf  of  a  tree, 
which  covered  the  top,  that  his  house  was  as  dry  as  if  it  had  been  tiled  or  slated. 
Indeed,  he  owned  that  the  savages  had  made  the  basket-work  for  him.  The  outer 
circuit  was  covered  as  a  lean-to,  all  round  this  inner  apartment,  and  long  rafters 
lay  from  the  thirty-two  angles  to  the  top  posts  of  the  inner  house,  being  about 
twenty  feet  distant,  so  that  there  was  a  space  like  a  walk  within  the  outer  wicker- 
wall,  and  without  the  inner,  near  twenty  feet  wide. 


The  New  House.  287 

The  inner  place  he  partitioned  off  with  the  same  wicker-work,  but  much  fairer, 
and  divided  into  six  apartments,  so  that  he  had  six  rooms  on  a  floor,  and  out  of 
every  one  of  these  there  was  a  door;  first  into  the  entry,  or  coming  into  the 
main  tent,  another  door  into  the  main  tent,  and  another  door  into  the  space  or 
walk  that  was  round  it ;  so  that  walk  was  also  divided  into  six  equal  parts,  which 
served  not  only  for  a  retreat,  but  to  store  up  any  necessaries  which  the  family  had 
occasion  for.  These  six  paces  not  taking  up  the  whole  circumference,  what  other 
apartments  the  outer  circle  had  were  thus  ordered :  As  soon  as  you  were  in  at 
the  door  of  the  outer  circle,  you  had  a  short  passage  straight  before  you  to  the 
door  of  the  inner  house ;  but  on  either  side  was  a  wicker  partition,  and  a  door 
in  it,  by  which  you  went  first  into  a  large  room,  or  storehouse,  twenty  feet  wide  and 
about  thirty  feet  long,  and  through  that  into  another  not  quite  so  long,  so  that  in 
the  outer  circle  were  ten  handsome  rooms,  six  of  which  were  only  to  be  come  at 
through  the  apartments  of  the  inner  tent,  and  served  as  closets  or  retiring-rooms 
to  the  respective  chambers  of  the  inner  circle ;  and  four  large  warehouses,  or 
barns,  or  what  you  please  to  call  them,  which  went  through  one  another,  two  on 
either  hand  of  the  passage,  that  led  through  the  outer  door  to  the  inner  tent. 

Such  a  piece  of  basket-work,  I  believe,  was  never  seen  in  the  world,  nor  a 
house  or  tent  so  neatly  contrived,  much  less  so  built.  In  this  great  bee-hive  lived 
the  three  families,  that  is  to  say,  Will  Atkins  and  his  companion ;  the  third  was 
killed,  but  his  wife  remained  with  three  children,  for  she  was,  it  seems,  big  with 
child  when  he  died :  and  the  other  two  were  not  at  all  backward  to  give  the 
widow  her  full  share  of  everything,  I  mean  as  to  their  corn,  milk,  grapes,  etc.,  and 
when  they  killed  a  kid,  or  found  a  turtle  on  the  shore ;  so  that  they  all  lived 
well  enough ;  though,  it  was  true,  they  were  not  so  industrious  as  the  other  two, 
as  has  been  observed  already. 

One  thing,  however,  cannot  be  omitted,  viz.,  that  as  for  religion,  I  do  not 
know  that  there  was  anything  of  that  kind  among  them  ;  they  often,  indeed,  put 
one  another  in  mind  that  there  was  a  God,  by  the  very  common  method  of  sea- 
men, swearing  by  His  name :  nor  were  their  poor  ignorant  savage  wives  much 
better  for  having  been  married  to  Christians,  as  we  must  call  them ;  for  as  they 
knew  very  little  of  God  themselves,  so  they  were  utterly  incapable  of  entering  into 
any  discourse  with  their  wives  about  a  God,  or  to  talk  anything  to  them  con- 
cerning religion. 

The  utmost  of  all  the  improvement  which  I  can  say  the  wives  had  made  from 
them  was,  that  they  had  taught  them  to  speak  English  pretty  well ;  and  most  of 
their  children,  who  were  near  twenty  in  all,  were  taught  to  speak  English  too,  from 
their  first  learning  to  speak,  though  they  at  first  spoke  it  in  a  very  broken  manner, 
like  their  mothers.  There  was  none  of  these  children  above  six  years  old  when  I 
came  thither,  for  it  was  not  much  above  seven  years  since  they  had  fetched  these 
five  savage  ladies  over ;  but  they  had  all  been  pretty  fruitful,  for  they  had  all 
children,  more  or  less :  I  think  the  cook's  mate's  wife  was  big  of  her  sixth  child ; 
and  the  mothers  were  all  a  good  sort  of  well-governed,  quiet,  laborious  women, 
modest  and  decent,  helpful  to  one  another,  mighty  observant  and  subject  to  their 


288  Robinson  Crusoe. 

masters  (I  cannot  call  them  husbands),  and  wanted  nothing  but  to  be  well  in- 
structed in  the  Christian  religion,  and  to  be  legally  married ;  both  which  were 
happily  brought  about  afterwards  by  my  means,  or  at  least  in  consequence  of  my 
coming  among  them. 

Having  thus  given  an  account  of  the  colony  in  general,  and  pretty  much  of 
my  runagate  English,  I  must  say  something  of  the  Spaniards,  who  were  the  main 
body  of  the  family,  and  in  whose  story  there  are  some  incidents  also  remarkable 
enough. 

I  had  a  great  many  discourses  with  them  about  their  circumstances  when  they 
were  among  the  savages.  They  told  me  readily  that  they  had  no  instances  to 
give  of  their  application  or  ingenuity  in  that  country ;  that  they  were  a  poor, 
miserable,  dejected  handful  of  people ;  that  if  means  had  been  put  into  their 
hands,  they  had  yet  so  abandoned  themselves  to  despair,  and  so  sunk  under  the 
weight  of  their  misfortune,  that  they  thought  of  nothing  but  starving.  One  of  them, 
a  grave  and  sensible  man,  told  me  he  was  convinced  they  were  in  the  wrong ;  that 
it  was  not  the  part  of  wise  men  to  give  themselves  up  to  their  misery,  but  always 
to  take  hold  of  the  helps  which  reason  offered,  as  well  for  present  support  as  for 
future  deliverance :  he  told  me  that  grief  was  the  most  senseless,  insignificant  pas- 
sion in  the  world,  for  that  it  regarded  only  things  past,  which  were  generally  im- 
possible to  be  recalled  or  to  be  remedied,  but  had  no  views  of  things  to  come, 
and  had  no  share  in  anything  that  looked  like  deliverance,  but  rather  added  to 
the  affliction  than  proposed  a  remedy ;  and  upon  this  he  repeated  a  Spanish  pro- 
verb, which,  though  I  cannot  repeat  in  just  the  same  words  that  he  spoke  it  in, 
yet  I  remember  I  made  it  into  an  English  proverb  of  my  own,  thus:  — 

"  In  trouble  to  be  troubled, 

Is  to  have  your  trouble  doubled."  - 

He  ran  on  then  in  remarks  upon  all  the  little  improvements  I  had  made  in 
my  solitude  ;  my  unwearied  application,  as  he  called  it ;  and  how  I  had  made  a 
condition,  which  in  its  circumstances  was  at  first  much  worse  than  theirs,  a  thou- 
sand times  more  happy  than  theirs  was,  even  now  when  they  were  all  together.  He 
told  me  it  was  remarkable  that  Englishmen  had  a  greater  presence  of  mind  in 
their  distress  than  any  people  that  ever  he  met  with ;  that  their  unhappy  nation 
and  the  Portuguese  were  the  worst  men  in  the  world  to  struggle  with  misfortunes ; 
for  that  their  first  step  in  dangers,  after  the  common  efforts  were  over,  was  to 
despair,  lie  down  under  it,  and  die,  without  rousing  their  thoughts  up  to  proper 
remedies  for  escape. 

I  told  him  their  case  and  mine  differed  exceedingly ,  that  they  were  cast  upon 
the  shore  without  necessaries,  without  supply  of  food,  or  present  sustenance  till 
they  could  provide  for  it :  that,  it  was  true,  I  had  this  disadvantage  and  discomfort, 
that  I  was  alone ;  but  then  the  supply  I  had  providentially  thrown -into  my  hands, 
by  the  unexpected  driving  of  the  ship  on  shore,  was  such  a  help  as  would  have 
encouraged  any  creature  in  the  world  to  have  applied  himself  as  I  had  done. 
"Seignior,"  says   the   Spaniard,   "had  we  poor  Spaniards    been    in   your  case,  we 


L '•■'^ifofti* 


"ATE  THEIR   PROVISIONS   VERY   THANKFULLY.' 


(S"  *   284.) 


Their  Story. 


289 


should  never  have  got  half  those  things  out  of  the  ship,  as  you  did :  nay,';  says 
he,  "  we  should  never  have  found  means  to  have  got  a  raft  to  carry  them,  or  to 
have  got  the  raft  on  shore  without  boat  or  sail ;  and  how  much  less  should  we 
have  done  if  any  of  us  had  been  alone  ! "  Well,  I  desired  him  to  abate  his  com- 
pliments, and  go  on  with  the  history  of  their  coming  on  shore,  where  they  landed. 


"in  this  great  bee-hive  lived  the  three  families"  (/.  287). 


He  told  me  they  unhappily  landed  at  a  place  where  there  were  people  without 
provisions :  whereas,  had  they  had  the  common  sense  to  put  off  to  sea  again,  and 
gone  to  another  island  a  little  farther,  they  had  found  provisions,  though  without 
people ;  there  being  an  island  that  way,  as  they  had  been  told,  where  there  were 
provisions,  though  no  people ;  that  is  to  say,  that  the  Spaniards  of  Trinidad  had 
frequently  been  there,  and  had  filled  the  island  with  goats  and  hogs  at  several 
times,  where  they  had  bred  in  such  multitudes,  and  where  turtle  and  sea-fowls  were 
in  such  plenty,  that  they  could  have  been  in  no  want  of  flesh,  though  they  had 
found    no   bread ;    whereas,  here,  they  were  only  sustained  with  a  few  roots  and 


290  Robinson  Crusoe. 

herbs,  which  they  understood  not,  and  which  had  no  substance  in  them,  and  which  the 
inhabitants  gave  them  sparingly  enough ;  and  they  could  treat  them  no  better,  unless 
they  would  turn  cannibals,  and  eat  men's  flesh,  which  was  the  great  dainty  of  their 
country. 

They  gave  me  an  account  how  many  ways  they  strove  to  civilize  the  savages 
they  were  with,  and  to  teach  them  rational  customs  in  the  ordinary  way  of  living, 
but  in  vain  ;  and  how  they  retorted  it  upon  them,  as  unjust,  that  they,  who  came 
there  for  assistance  and  support,  should  attempt  to  set  up  for  instructors  of  those 
that  gave  them  food ;  intimating,  it  seems,  that  none  should  set  up  for  the  in- 
structors of  others  but  those  who  could  live  without  them. 

They  gave  me  dismal  accounts  of  the  extremities  they  were  driven  to  ;  how 
sometimes  they  were  many  days  without  any  food  at  all,  the  island  they  were  upon 
being  inhabited  by  a  sort  of  savages  that  lived  more  indolent,  and  for  that  reason 
were  less  supplied  with  the  necessaries  of  life  than  they  had  reason  to  believe  others 
were  in  the  same  part  of  the  world :  and  yet  they  found  that  these  savages  were  less 
ravenous  and  voracious  than  those  who  had  better  supplies  of  food.  Also  they  added, 
they  could  not  but  see  with  what  demonstrations  of  wisdom  and  goodness  the  gov- 
erning providence  of  God  directs  the  events  of  things  in  this  world :  which,  they 
said,  appeared  in  their  circumstances ;  for  if,  pressed  by  the  hardships  they  were 
under,  and  the  barrenness  of  the  country  where  they  were,  they  had  searched  after  a 
better  to  live  in,  they  had  then  been  out  of  the  way  of  the  relief  that  happened  to 
them  by  my  means. 

They  then  gave  me  an  account  how  the  savages  whom  they  lived  among  ex- 
pected them  to  go  out  with  them  into  their  wars ;  and,  it  was  true,  that  as  they  had 
fire-arms  with  them,  had  they  not  had  the  disaster  to  lose  their  ammunition,  they 
could  have  been  serviceable  not  only  to  friends,  but  have  made  themselves  terrible 
both  to  friends  and  enemies ;  but  being  without  powder  and  shot,  and  yet  in  a  con- 
dition that  they  could  not  in  reason  deny  to  go  out  with  their  landlords  to  their  wars  ; 
so  when  they  came  into  the  field  of  battle,  they  were  in  a  worse  condition  than  the 
savages  themselves,  for  they  had  neither  bows  nor  arrows,  nor  could  they  use  those 
the  savages  gave  them  ;  so  they  could  do  nothing  but  stand  still  and  be  wounded 
with  arrows,  till  they  came  up  to  the  teeth  of  their  enemy ;  and  then,  indeed,  the  three 
halberts  they  had  were  of  use  to  them  ;  and  they  would  often  drive  a  whole  little 
army  before  them  with  those  halberts,  and  sharpened  sticks  put  into  the  muzzles  of 
their  muskets  :  but  that,  for  all  this,  they  were  sometimes  surrounded  with  multitudes, 
and  in  great  danger  from  their  arrows,  till  at  last  they  found  the  way  to  make  them- 
selves large  targets  of  wood,  which  they  covered  with  skins  of  wild  beasts,  whose 
names  they  knew  not,  and  these  covered  them  from  the  arrows  of  the  savages :  that, 
notwithstanding  these,  they  were  sometimes  in  great  danger ;  and  five  of  them  were 
once  knocked  down  together  with  the  clubs  of  the  savages,  which  was  the  time  when 
one  of  them  was  taken  prisoner,  that  is  to  say,  the  Spaniard  whom  I  relieved :  that 
at  first  they  thought  he  had  been  killed ;  but  when  they  afterwards  heard  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  they  were  under  the  greatest  grief  imaginable,  and  would  willingly 
have  all  ventured  their  lives  to  have  rescued  him. 


Their  Story.  291 

They  told  me  that  when  they  were  so  knocked  down,  the  rest  of  their  company 
rescued  them,  and  stood  over  them  fighting  till  they  were  come  to  themselves,  all 
but  him  who  they  thought  had  been  dead ;  and  then  they  made  their  way  with 
their  halberts  and  pieces,  standing  close  together  in  a  line,  through  a  body  of 
above  a  thousand  savages,  beating  down  all  that  came  in  their  way,  got  the  victory 
over  their  enemies,  but  to  their  great  sorrow,  because  it  was  with  the  loss  of  their 
friend,  whom  the  other  party,  finding  alive,  carried  off,  with  some  others,  as  I  gave 
an  account  before. 

They  described,  most  affectionately,  how  they  were  surprised  with  joy  at  the 
return  of  their  friend  and  companion  in  misery,  who  they  thought  had  been  de- 
voured by  wild  beasts  of  the  worst  kind — wild  men ;  and  yet,  how  more  and  more 
they  were  surprised  with  the  account  he  gave  them  of  his  errand,  and  that  there 
was  a  Christian  in  any  place  near,  much  more  one  that  was  able,  and  had  humanity 
enough,  to  contribute  to  their  deliverance. 

They  described  how  they  were  astonished  at  the  sight  of  the  relief  I  sent  them, 
and  the  appearance  of  loaves  of  bread — things  they  had  not  seen  since  their 
coming  to  that  miserable  place ;  how  often  they  crossed  it  and  blessed  it  as  bread 
sent  from  heaven  ;  and  what  a  reviving  cordial  it  was  to  their  spirits  to  taste  it, 
as  also  the  other  things  I  had  sent  for  their  supply ;  and,  after  all,  they  would 
have  told  me  something  of  the  joy  they  were  in  at  the  sight  of  a  boat  and  pilots, 
to  carry  them  away  to  the  person  and  place  from  whence  all  these  new  comforts 
came :  but  it  was  impossible  to  express  it  by  words ;  for  their  excessive  joy 
naturally  driving  them  to  unbecoming  extravagances,  they  had  no  way  to  describe 
them,  but  by  telling  me  they  bordered  upon  lunacy,  having  no  way  to  give  vent 
to  their  passions  suitable  to  the  sense  that  was  upon  them ;  that  in  some  it  worked 
one  way,  and  in  some  another ;  and  that  some  of  them,  through  a  surprise  of  joy, 
would  burst  into  tears,  others  be  stark  mad,  and  others  immediately  faint.  This 
discourse  extremely  affected  me,  and  called  to  my  mind  Friday's  ecstasy  when  he 
met  his  father,  and  the  poor  people's  ecstasy  when  I  took  them  up  at  sea  after 
their  ship  was  on  fire;  the  joy  of  the  mate  of  the  ship  when  he  found  himself 
delivered  in  the  place  where  he  expected  to  perish ;  and  my  own  joy,  when,  after 
twenty-eight  years'  captivity,  I  found  a  good  ship  ready  to  carry  me  to  my  own 
country.  All  these  things  made  me  more  sensible  of  the  relation  of  these  poor 
men,  and  more  affected  with  it. 

Having  thus  given  a  view  of  the  state  of  things  as  I  found  them,  I  must  relate 
the  heads  of  what  I  did  for  these  people,  and  the  condition  in  which  I  left  them. 
It  was  their  opinion,  and  mine  too,  that  they  would  be  troubled  no  more  with  the 
savages,  or  if  they  were,  they  would  be  able  to  cut  them  off,  if  they  were  twice 
as  many  as  before ;  so  they  had  no  concern  about  that.  Then  I  entered  into  a 
serious  discourse  with  the  Spaniard,  whom  I  call  governor,  about  their  stay  in  the 
island ;  for  as  I  was  not  come  to  carry  any  of  them  off,  so  it  would  not  be  just 
to  carry  off  some  and  leave  others,  who,  perhaps,  would  be  unwilling  to  stay  if 
their  strength  was  diminished.  On  the  other  hand,  I  told  them  I  came  to  es- 
tablish them  there,  not  to  remove  them  ;    and  then   I   let  them  know  that   I   had 


292  Robinson  Crusoe. 

brought  with  me  relief  of  sundry  kind  for  them  ;  that  I  had  been  at  a  great  charge 
to  supply  them  with  all  things  necessary,  as  well  for  their  convenience  as  their 
defense ;  and  that  I  had  such  and  such  particular  persons  with  me,  as  well  to 
increase  and  recruit  their  number,  as  by  the  particular  necessary  employments  which 
they  were  bred  to,  being  artificers,  to  assist  them  in  those  things  in  which  at  present 
they  were  in  want. 

They  were  all  together  when  I  talked  thus  to  them ;  and  before  I  delivered  to 
them  the  stores  I  had  brought,  I  asked  them,  one  by  one,  if  they  had  entirely 
forgot  and  buried  their  first  animosities  that  had  been  among  them,  and  would 
shake  hands  with  one  another,  and  engage  in  a  strict  friendship  and  union  of 
interest,  that  so  there  might  be  no  more  misunderstandings  and  jealousies. 

Will  Atkins,  with  abundance  of  frankness  and  good-humor,  said  they  had  met 
with  affliction  enough  to  make  them  all  sober,  and  enemies  enough  to  make  them 
all  friends ;  that,  for  his  part,  he  would  live  and  die  with  them,  and  was  so  far 
from  designing  anything  against  the  Spaniards,  that  he  owned  they  had  done 
nothing  to  him  but  what  his  own  mad  humor  made  necessary,  and  what  he  would 
have  done,  and  perhaps  worse,  in  their  case ;  and  that  he  would  ask  them  pardon, 
if  I  desired  it,  for  the  foolish  and  brutish  things  he  had  done  to  them,  and  was 
very  willing  and  desirous  of  living  in  terms  of  entire  friendship  and  union  with 
them,  and  would  do  anything  that  lay  in  his  power  to  convince  them  of  it ;  and 
as  for  going  to  England,  he  cared  not  if  he  did  not  go  thither  these  twenty 
years. 

The  Spaniards  said  they  had,  indeed,  at  first  disarmed  and  excluded  Will  Atkins 
and  his  two  countrymen  for  their  ill  conduct,  as  they  had  let  me  know,  and  they 
appealed  to  me  for  the  necessity  they  were  under  to  do  so  ;  but  that  Will  Atkins 
had  behaved  himself  so  bravely  in  the  great  fight  they  had  with  the  savages,  and 
on  several  occasions  since,  and  had  shown  himself  so  faithful  to,  and  concerned 
for,  the  general  interest  of  them  all,  that  they  had  forgotten  all  that  was  passed, 
and  thought  he  merited  as  much  to  be  trusted  with  arms  and  supplied  with 
necessaries  as  any  of  them ;  and  they  had  testified  their  satisfaction  in  him  by 
committing  the  command  to  him  next  to  the  governor  himself ;  and  as  they  had 
entire  confidence  in  him  and  all  his  countrymen,  so  they  acknowledged  they  had 
merited  that  confidence  by  all  the  methods  that  honest  men  could  merit  to  be 
valued  and  trusted ;  and  they  most  heartily  embraced  the  occasion  of  giving  me  this 
assurance,  that  they  would  never  have  any  interest  separate  from  one  another. 

Upon  these  frank  and  open  declarations  of  friendship,  we  appointed  the  next 
day  to  dine  all  together ;  and,  indeed,  we  made  a  splendid  feast.  I  caused  the 
ship's  cook  and  his  mate  to  come  on  shore  and  dress  our  dinner,  and  the  old 
cook's  mate  we  had  on  shore  assisted.  We  brought  on  shore  six  pieces  of  good 
beef  and  four  pieces  of  pork,  out  of  the  ship's  provisions,  with  our  punch-bowl, 
and  materials  to  fill  it ;  and,  in  particular,  I  gave  them  ten  bottles  of  French  claret, 
and  ten  bottles  of  English  beer ;  things  that  neither  the  Spaniards  nor  the  English 
had  tasted  for  many  years,  and  which  it  may  be  supposed  they  were  very  glad  of. 
The  Spaniards  added  to  our  feast  five  whole  kids,  which  the  cooks  roasted ;  and 


My  Cargo  of  Goods.  293 

three  of  them  were  sent,  covered  up  close,  on  board  the  ship  to  the  seamen,  that 
they  might  feast  on  fresh  meat  from  on  shore,  as  we  did  with  their  salt  meat  from 
on  board. 

After  this  feast,  at  which  we  were  very  innocently  merry,  I  brought  my  cargo 
of  goods ;  wherein,  that  there  might  be  no  dispute  about  dividing,  I  showed  them 
that  there  was  a  sufficiency  for  them  all,  desiring  that  they  might  all  take  an  equal 
quantity  of  the  goods  that  were  for  wearing ;  that  is  to  say,  equal  when  made  up. 
As,  first,  I  distributed  linen  sufficient  to  make  every  one  of  them  four  shirts,  and, 
at  the  Spaniard's  request,  afterwards  made  them  up  six ;  these  were  exceeding  com- 
fortable to  them,  having  been  what  they  had  long  since  forgot  the  use  of,  or  what 
it  was  to  wear  them.  I  allotted  the  thin  English  stuffs,  which  I  mentioned  before, 
to  make  every  one  a  light  coat  like  a  frock,  which  I  judged  fittest  for  the  heat  of 
the  season,  cool  and  loose ;  and  ordered  that  whenever  they  decayed,  they  should 
make  more,  as  they  thought  fit ;   the  like  for  pumps,  shoes,  stockings,  hats,  etc. 

I  cannot  express  what  pleasure,  what  satisfaction,  sat  upon  the  countenances  of 
all  these  poor  men,  when  they  saw  the  care  I  had  taken  of  them,  and  how  well 
I  had  furnished  them.  They  told  me  I  was  a  father  to  them ;  and  that  having 
such  a  correspondent  as  I  was  in  so  remote  a  part  of  the  world,  it  would  make 
them  forget  that  they  were  left  in  a  desolate  place  ;  and  they  all  voluntarily  engaged 
to  me  not  to  leave  the  place  without  my  consent. 

Then  I  presented  to  them  the  people  I  had  brought  with  me,  particularly  the 
tailor,  the  smith,  and  the  two  carpenters,  all  of  them  most  necessary  people ;  but, 
above  all,  my  general  artificer,  than  whom  they  could  not  name  anything  that 
was  more  useful  to  them ;  and  the  tailor,  to  show  his  concern  for  them,  went  to 
work  immediately,  and,  with  my  leave,  made  them  every  one  a  shirt,  the  first  thing 
he  did ;  and,  what  was  still  more,  he  taught  the  women  not  only  how  to  sew  and 
stitch,  and  use  the  needle,  but  made  them  assist  to  make  the  shirts  for  their 
husbands,  and  for  all  the  rest. 

As  to  the  carpenters,  I  scarce  need  mention  how  useful  they  were ;  for  they 
took  to  pieces  all  my  clumsy,  unhandy  things,  and  made  clever  convenient  tables, 
stools,  bedsteads,  cupboards,  lockers,  shelves,  and  everything  they  wanted  of  that 
kind.  But  to  let  them  see  how  Nature  made  artificers  at  first,  I  carried  the  car- 
penters to  see  Will  Atkins'  basket-house,  as  I  called  it ;  and  they  both  owned  they 
never  saw  an  instance  of  such  natural  ingenuity  before,  nor  anything  so  regular  and 
so  handily  built,  at  least  of  it's  kind ;  and  one  of  them,  when  he  saw  it,  after 
musing  a  good  while,  turning  about  to  me,  "  I  am  sure,"  says  he,  "  that  man  has 
no  need  of  us ;  you  need  do  nothing  but  give  him  tools." 

Then  I  brought  them  out  all  my  store  of  tools,  and  gave  every  man  a  digging- 
spade,  a  shovel,  and  a  rake,  for  we  had  no  harrows  or  plough ;  and  to  every 
separate  place  a  pickaxe,  a  crow,  a  broad  axe,  and  a  saw  ;  always  appointing,  that 
as  often  as  any  were  broken  or  worn  out,  they  should  be  supplied,  without 
grudging,  out  of  the  general  stores  that  I  left  behind.  Nails,  staples,  hinges, 
hammers,  chisels,  knives,  scissors,  and  all  sorts  of  iron-work,  they  had  without 
reserve,  as  they  required ;   for  no  man  would  take  more  than  he  wanted,  and  he 


294  Robinson  Crusoe. 

must  be  a  fool  that  would  waste  or  spoil  them  on  any  account  whatever ;  and  for 
the  use  of  the  smith  I  left  two  tons  of  unwrought  iron  for  a  supply. 

My  magazine  of  powder  and  arms  which  I  brought  them  was  such,  even  to 
profusion,  that  they  could  not  but  rejoice  at  them ;  for  now  they  could  march,  as 
I  used  to  do,  with  a  musket  upon  each  shoulder,  if  there  was  occasion ;  and  were 
able  to  fight  a  thousand  savages,  if  they  had  but  some  little  advantages  of  situation, 
which  also  they  could  not  miss,  if  they  had  occasion. 

I  carried  on  shore  with  me  the  young  man  whose  mother  was  starved  to  death, 
and  the  maid  also ;  she  was  a  sober,  well-educated,  religious  young  woman,  and 
behaved  so  inoffensively  that  every  one  gave  her  a  good  word ;  she  had,  indeed, 
an  unhappy  life  with  us,  there  being  no  woman  in  the  ship  but  herself,  but  she 
bore  it  with  patience.  After  awhile,  seeing  things  so  well  ordered,  and  in  so  fine 
a  way  of  thriving  upon  my  island,  and  considering  that  they  had  neither  business 
nor  acquaintance  in  the  East  Indies,  or  reason  for  taking  so  long  a  voyage,  both 
of  them  came  to  me,  and  desired  I  would  give  them  leave  to  remain  on  the 
island,  and  be  entered  among  my  family,  as  they  called  it.  I  agreed  to  this 
readily ;  and  they  had  a  little  plot  of  ground  allotted  to  them,  where  they  had 
three  tents  or  houses  set  up,  surrounded  with  a  basket-work,  pallisadoed  like  Atkins', 
adjoining  to  his  plantation.  Their  tents  were  contrived  so  that  they  had  each  of 
them  a  room  apart  to  lodge  in,  and  a  middle  tent  like  a  great  storehouse,  to  lay 
their  goods  in,  and  to  eat  and  drink  in.  And  now  the  other  two  Englishmen 
removed  their  habitation  to  the  same  place ;  and  so  the  island  was  divided  into 
three  colonies,  and  no  more — viz.,  the  Spaniards,  with  old  Friday  and  the  first 
servants,  at  my  old  habitation  under  the  hill,  which  was,  in  a  word,  the  capital 
city,  and  where  they  had  so  enlarged  and  extended  their  works,  as  well  under  as 
on  the  outside  of  the  hill,  that  they  lived,  though  perfectly  concealed,  yet  full  at 
large.  Never  was  there  such  a  little  city  in  a  wood,  and  so  hid,  in  any  part  of 
the  world ;  for  I  verily  believe  that  a  thousand  men  might  have  ranged  the  island 
for  a  month,  and,  if  they  had  not  known  there  was  such  a  thing,  and  looked  on 
purpose  for  it,  they  would  not  have  found  it ;  for  the  trees  stood  so  thick  and  so 
close,  and  grew  so  fast  woven  one  into  another,  that  nothing  but  cutting  them 
down  first  could  discover  the  place,  except  the  only  two  narrow  entrances  where 
they  went  in  and  out  could  be  found,  which  was  not  very  easy ;  one  of  them  was 
close  down  at  the  water's  edge,  on  the  side  of  the  creek,  and  it  was  afterwards 
above  two  hundred  yards  to  the  place:  and  the  other  was  up  a  ladder  at  twice, 
as  I  have  already  described  it ;  and  they  had  also  a  large  wood,  thickly  planted, 
on  the  top  of  the  hill,  containing  above  an  acre,  which  grew  apace,  and  concealed 
the  place  from  all  discovery  there,  with  only  one  narrow-  place  between  two  trees, 
not  easily  to  be  discovered,  to  enter  on  that  side. 

The  only  colony  was  that  of  Will  Atkins,  where  there  were  four  families  of 
Englishmen,  I  mean  those  I  had  left  there,  with  their  Avives  and  children  ;  three 
savages  that  were  slaves,  the  widow  and  the  children  of  the  Englishman  that  was 
killed,  the  young  man  and  the  maid,  and,  by  the  way,  we  made  a  wife  of  her  before 
we  went  away.     There  were  also  the  two  carpenters  and  the  tailor,  whom  I  brought 


The  French  Priest.  295 

with  me  for  them :  also  the  smith,  who  was  a  very  necessary  man  to  them,  espe- 
cially as  a  gunsmith,  to  take  care  of  their  arms ;  and  my  other  man,  whom  I  called 
Jack-of-all-trades,  who  was  in  himself  as  good  almost  as  twenty  men ;  for  he  was 
not  only  a  very  ingenious  fellow,  but  a  very  merry  fellow,  and  before  I  went  away 
we  married  him  to  the  honest  maid  that  came  with  the  youth  in  the  ship  I  men- 
tioned before. 

And  now  I  speak  of  marrying,  it  brings  me  naturally  to  say  something  of  the 
French  ecclesiastic  that  I  had  brought  with  me  out  of  the  ship's  crew  whom  I  took 
up  at  sea.  It  is  true  this  man  was  a  Roman,  and  perhaps  it  may  give  offense  to 
some  hereafter  if  I  leave  anything  extraordinary  upon  record  of  a  man  whom, 
before  I  begin,  I  must  (to  set  him  out  in  just  colors)  represent  in  terms  very 
much  to  his  disadvantage,  in  the  account  of  Protestants ;  as,  first,  that  he  was  a 
Papist ;  secondly,  a  Popish  priest ;  and  thirdly,  a  French  Popish  priest.  But 
justice  demands  of  me  to  give  him  a  due*  character ;  and  I  must  say,  he  was  a 
grave,  sober,  pious,  and  most  religious  person ;  exact  in  his  life,  extensive  in  his 
charity,  and  exemplary  in  almost  everything  he  did.  What,  then,  can  any  one  say 
against  being  very  sensible  of  the  value  of  such  a  man,  notwithstanding  his  pro- 
fession? though  it  may  be  my  opinion,  perhaps,  as  well  as  the  opinion  of  others 
who  shall  read  this,  that  he  was  mistaken. 

The  first  hour  that  I  began  to  converse  with  him,  after  he  had  agreed  to  go 
with  me  to  the  East  Indies,  I  found  reason  to  delight  exceedingly  in  his  conver- 
sation ;  and  he  first  began  with  me  about  religion  in  the  most  obliging  manner 
imaginable.  "  Sir,"  says  he,  "  you  have  not  only  under  God "  (and  at  that  he 
crossed  his  breast)  "  saved  my  life,  but  you  have  admitted  me  to  go  this  voyage  in 
your  ship,  and,  by  your  obliging  civility,  have  taken  me  into  your  family,  giving 
me  an  opportunity  of  free  conversation.  Now,  sir,  you  see  by  my  habit  what  my 
profession  is,  and  I  guess  by  your  nation  what  yours  is ;  I  may  think  it  is  my 
duty,  and  doubtless  it  is  so,  to  use  my  utmost  endeavors,  on  all  occasions,  to 
bring  all  the  souls  I  can  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  to  embrace  the 
Catholic  doctrine ;  but  as  I  am  here  under  your  permission,  and  in  your  family, 
I  am  bound  in  justice  to  your  kindness,  as  well  as  in  decency  and  good  manners, 
to  be  under  your  government ;  and  therefore  I  shall  not,  without  your  leave,  enter 
into  any  debate  on  the  points  of  religion  in  which  we  may  not  agree,  farther  than 
you  shall  give  me  leave." 

I  told  him  his  carriage  was  so  modest  that  I  could  not  but  acknowledge  it ; 
that  it  was  true  we  were  such  people  as  they  called  heretics,  but  that  he  was 
not  the  first  Catholic  I  had  conversed  with,  without  falling  into  inconveniences,  or 
carrying  the  questions  to  any  height  in  debate ;  that  he  should  not  find  himself 
the  worse  used  for  being  of  a  different  opinion  from  us,  and  if  we  did  not  con- 
verse without  any  dislike  on  either  side,  it  should  be  his  fault,  not  ours. 

He  replied  that  he  thought  all  our  conversation  might  be  easily  separated 
from  disputes ;  that  it  was  not  his  business  to  cap  principles  with  every  man  he 
conversed  with ;  and  that  he  rather  desired  me  to  converse  with  him  as  a  gentle- 
man  than   as   a  religionist ;   and  that,  if  I   would  give  him   leave   at   any  time  to 


296  Robinson  Crusoe. 

discourse  upon  religious  subjects,  he  would  readily  comply  with  it,  and  that  he  did 
not  doubt  but  I  would  allow  him  also  to  defend  his  own  opinions  as  well  as  he 
could ;  but  that,  without  my  leave,  he  would  not  break  in  upon  me  with  any  such 
thing.  He  told  me,  farther,  that  he  would  not  cease  to  do  all  that  became  him, 
in  his  office  as  a  priest,  as  well  as  a  private  Christian,  to  procure  the  good  of 
the  ship,  and  the  safety  of  all  that  was  in  her;  and  though,  perhaps,  we  would 
not  join  with  him,  and  he  could  not  pray  with  us,  he  hoped  he  might  pray  for 
us,  which  he  would  do  upon  all  occasions.  In  this  manner  we  conversed ;  and 
as  he  was  of  the  most  obliging,  gentlemanlike  behavior,  so  he  was,  if  I  may  be 
allowed  to  say  so,  a  man  of  good  sense,  and,  as  I  believe,  of  great  learning. 

He  gave  me  a  most  diverting  account  of  his  life,  and  of  the  many  extraor- 
dinary events  of  it ;  of  many  adventures  which  had  befallen  him  in  the  few 
years  that  he  had  been  abroad  in  the  world ;  and  particularly  it  was  very  re- 
markable, that  in  the  voyage  he  was  now  engaged  in,  he  had  the  misfortune  to 
be  five  times  shipped  and  unshipped,  and  never  to  go  to  the  place  whither  any 
of  the  ships  he  was  in  at  first  designed.  That  his  first  intent  was  to  have  gone  to 
Martinico,  and  that  he  went  on  board  a  ship  bound  thither  at  St.  Malo ;  but, 
being  forced  into  Lisbon  by  bad  weather,  the  ship  received  some  damage  by 
running  aground  in  the  mouth  of  the  river  Tagus,  and  was  obliged  to  unload  her 
cargo  there ;  but  finding  a  Portuguese  ship  there  bound  to  the  Madeiras,  and 
ready  to  sail,  and  supposing  he  should  easily  meet  with  a "  vessel  there  bound  to 
Martinico,  he  went  on  board,  in  order  to  sail  to  the  Madeiras ;  but  the  master  of 
the  Portuguese  ship,  being  but  an  indifferent  mariner,  had  been  out  of  his  reckon- 
ing, and  they  drove  to  Fyal ;  where,  however,  he  happened  to  find  a  very  good 
market  for  his  cargo,  which  was  corn,  and  therefore  resolved  not  to  go  to  the 
Madeiras,  but  to  load  salt  at  the  Isle  of  May,  and  to  go  away  to  Newfoundland. 
He  had  no  remedy  in  this  exigence  but  to  go  with  the  ship,  and  had  a  pretty 
good  voyage  as  far  as  the  banks  (so  they  call  the  place  where  they  catch  the 
fish),  where,  meeting  with  a  French  ship  bound  from  France  to  Quebec,  in  the 
river  of  Canada,  and  from  thence  to  Martinico,  to  carry  provisions,  he  thought  he 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  complete  his  first  design ;  but  when  he  came  to 
Quebec,  the  master  of  the  ship  died,  and  the  vessel  proceeded  no  farther ;  so  the 
next  voyage  he  shipped  himself  for  France,  in  the  ship  that  was  burned  when  we 
took  them  up  at  sea,  and  then  shipped  with  us  for  the  East  Indies,  as  I  have 
already  said.  Thus  he  had  been  disappointed  in  five  voyages,  all,  as  I  may  call 
it,  in  one  voyage,  besides  what  I  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  farther  of 
him.  * 

But  I  shall  not  make  digression  into  other  men's  stories,  which  have  no  rela- 
tion to  my  own  ;  I  return  to  what  concerns  our  affairs  in  the  island.  He  came 
to  me  one  morning  (for  he  lodged  among  us  all  the  while  we  were  upon  the 
island),  and  it  happened  to  be  just  when  I  was  going  to  visit  the  Englishmen's 
colony,  at  the  farthest  part  of  the  island ;  I  say,  he  came  to  me,  and  told  me, 
with  a  very  grave  countenance,  that  he  had  for  two  or  three  days  desired  an 
opportunity  of  some  discourse  with  me,  which  he  hoped  would  not  be  displeasing 


'WE  MADE  A  SPLENDID  FEAST. 


{Step.  2511.) 


The  French  Priest. 


297 


to  me,  because  he  thought  it  might  in  some  measure  correspond  with  my  general 
design,  which  was,  the  prosperity  of  my  new  colony,  and  perhaps  might  put  it,  at 
least  more  than  he  yet  thought  it  was,  in  the  way  of  God's  blessing. 

I  looked  a  little  surprised  at  the  last  part  of  his  discourse,  and  turning  a  little 
short,  "  How,  sir,"  said  I,  "can  it  be  said  that  we  are  not  in  the  way  of  God's 


"made  every  one  a  light  coat"   (/.  293;. 


blessing,  after  such  visible  assistances  and  deliverances  as  we  have  seen  here,  and 
of  which  I  have  given  you  a  large  account?  "  "  If  you  had  pleased,  sir,"  said  he, 
with  a  world  of  modesty,  and  yet  great  readiness,  "  to  have  heard  me,  you  would 
have  found  no  room  to  have  been  displeased,  much  less  to  think  so  hard  of  me, 
that  I  should  suggest  that  you  have  not  had  wonderful  assistances  and  deliverances ; 
and  I  hope,  on  your  behalf,  that  you  are  in  the  way  of  God's  blessing,  and  your 
design  is  exceeding  good,  and  will  prosper:  but,  sir,  though  it  were  more  so 
than  is  even  possible  to  you,  yet  there  may  be  some  among  you  that  are  not 
equally  right  in  their  actions :  and  you  know,  that  in  the  story  of  the  children  of 
israel,  one  Achan  in  the  camp  removed  God's  blessing  from  them,  and  turned  His 


2gl 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


hand  so  against  them,  that  six-and-thirty  of  them,  though  not  concerned  in  the 
crime,  were  the  objects  of  Divine  vengeance,  and  bore  the  weight  of  that  punish- 
ment." 

I  was  sensibly  touched  with  his  discourse,  and  told  him  his  inference  was  so 
just,  and  the  whole  design  seemed  so  sincere,  and  was  really  so  religious  in  its 
own  nature,  that  I  was  very  sorry  I  had  interrupted  him,  and  begged  him  to  go 
on ;  and,  in  the  meantime,  because  it  seemed  that  what  we  had  both  to  say  might 
take  up  some  time,  I  told  him  I  was  going  to  the  Englishmen's  plantations,  and 
asked  him  to  go  with  me,  and  we  might  discourse  of  it  by  the  way.  He  told  me 
he  would  the  more  willingly  wait  on  me  thither,  because  there  partly  the  thing 
was  acted  which  he  desired  to  speak  to  me  about ;  so  we  walked  on,  and  I  pressed 
him  to  be  free  and  plain  with  me  in  what  he  had  to  say. 

"Why,  then,  sir,"  says  he,  "be  pleased  to  give  me  leave  to  lay  down  a  few 
propositions,  as  the  foundation  of  what  I  have  to  say,  that  we  may  not  differ  in 
the  general  principles,  though  we  may  be  of  some  differing  opinions  in  the  prac- 
tice of  particulars.  First,  sir,  though  we  differ  in  some  of  the  doctrinal  articles  of 
religion  (and  it  is  very  unhappy  it  is  so,  especially  in  the  case  before  us,  as  I 
shall  show  afterwards),  yet  there  are  some  general  principles  in  which  we  both 
agree — that  there  is  a  God;  and  that  this  God  having  given  us  some  stated 
general  rules  for  our  service  and  obedience,  we  ought  not  willingly  and  knowingly 
to  offend  Him,  either  by  neglecting  to  do  what  He  has  commanded,  or  by  doing 
what  He  has  expressly  forbidden.  And  let  our  different  religions  be  what  they 
will,  this  general  principle  is  readily  owned  by  us  all,  that  the  blessing  of  God 
does  not  ordinarily  follow  presumptuous  sinning  against  His  command ;  and  every 
good  Christian  will  be  affectionately  concerned  to  prevent  any  that  are  under  his 
care  living  in  a  total  neglect  of  God  and  His  commands.  It  is  not  your  men 
being  Protestants,  whatever  my  opinion  may  be  of  such,  that  discharges  me  from 
being  concerned  for  their  souls,  and  from  endeavoring,  if  it  lies  before  me,  that 
they  should  live  in  as  little  distance  from  enmity  with  their  Maker  as  possible, 
especially  if  you  give  me  leave  to  meddle  so  far  in  your  circuit." 

I  could  not  yet  imagine  what  he  aimed  at,  and  told,  him  I  granted  all  he  had 
said,  and  thanked  him  that  he  would  so  far  concern  himself  for  us,  and  begged 
he  would  explain  the  particulars  of  what  he  had  observed,  that  like  Joshua,  to 
take  his  own  parable,  I  might  put  away  the  accursed  thing  from  us. 

"  Why,  then,  sir,"  says  he,  "  I  will  take  the  liberty  you  give  me ;  and  there  are 
three  things,  which,  if  I  am  right,  must  stand  in  the  way  of  God's  blessing  upon 
your  endeavors  here,  and  which  I  should  rejoice,  for  your  sake  and  their  own,  to 
see  removed.  And,  sir,  I  promise  myself  that  you  will  fully  agree  with  me  in 
them  all,  as  soon  as  I  name  them ;  especially,  because  I  shall  convince  you,  that 
every  one  of  them  may,  with  great  ease,  and  very  much  to  your  satisfaction,  be 
remedied.  First,  sir,"  says  he,  "  you  have  here  four  Englishmen,  who  have  fetched 
women  from  among  the  savages,  and  have  taken  them  as  their  wives,  and  have  had 
many  children  by  them  all,  and  yet  are  not  married  to  them  after  any  stated  legal 
manner,  as  the  laws  of  God  and  man  require ;   and  therefore  are  yet,  in  the  sense 


The  French  Priest.  299 

of  both,  no  less  than  fornicators,  if  not  living  in  adultery.  To  this,  sir,  I  know 
you  will  object  that  there  was  no  clergyman  or  priest  of  any  kind,  or  any  pro- 
fession, to  perform  the  ceremony ;  nor  any  pen  and  ink,  or  paper,  to  write  down  a 
contract  of  marriage,  and  have  it  signed  between  them.  And  I  know  also,  sir, 
what  the  Spaniard  governor  has  told  you,  I  mean,  of  the  agreement  that  he 
obliged  them  to  make  when  they  took  those  women,  viz.,  that  they  should  choose 
them  out  by  consent,  and  keep  separately  to  them ;  which,  by  the  way,  is  nothing 
of  a  marriage,  no  agreement  with  the  women  as  wives,  but  only  an  agreement 
among  themselves  to  keep  them  from  quarreling.  But,  sir,  the  essence  of  the 
sacrament  of  matrimony  "  (so  he  called  it,  being  a  Roman)  "  consists  not  only  in  the 
mutual  consent  of  the  parties  to  take  one  another  as  man  and  wife,  but  in  the 
formal  and  legal  obligation  that  there  is  in  the  contract,  to  compel  the  man  and 
woman,  at  all  times,  to  own  and  acknowledge  each  other ;  obliging  the  man  to 
abstain  from  all  other  women,  to  engage  in  no  other  contract  while  these  subsist ; 
and,  on  all  occasions,  as  ability  allows,  to  provide  honestly  for  them  and  their 
children  ;  and  to  oblige  the  women  to  the  same  or  like  conditions,  mutatis  mutandis, 
on  their  side.  Now,  sir,"  says  he,  "  these  men  may,  when  they  please,  or  when 
occasion  presents,  abandon  these  women,  disown  their  children,  leave  them  to 
perish,  and  take  other  women,  and  marry  them  while  these  are  living ;  "  and  here 
he  added,  with  some  warmth,  "  How,  sir,  is  God  honored  in  this  unlawful 
liberty?  And  how  shall  a  blessing  succeed  your  endeavors  in  this  place,  however 
good  in  themselves,  and  however  sincere  in  your  design,  while  these  men,  who  at 
present  are  your  subjects,  under  your  absolute  government  and  dominion,  are 
allowed  by  you  to  live  in  open  adultery?  " 

I  confess  I  was  struck  with  the  thing  itself,  but  much  more  with  the  con- 
vincing arguments  he  supported  it  with ;  for  it  was  certainly  true  that,  though  they 
had  no  clergyman  upon  the  spot,  yet  a  formal  contract  on  both  sides,  made  before 
witnesses,  and  confirmed  by  any  token  which  they  had  all  agreed  to  be  bound  by, 
though  it  had  been  but  breaking  a  stick  between  them,  engaging  the  men  to  own 
these  women  for  their  wives  upon  all  occasions,  and  never  to  abandon  them  or 
their  children,  and  the  women  to  the  same  with  their  husbands,  had  been  an 
effectual  lawful  marriage  in  the  sight  of  God ;  and  it  was  a  great  neglect  that  it 
was  not  done.  But  I  thought  to  have  got  off  my  young  priest  by  telling  him  that 
all  that  part  was  done  when  I  was  not  there ;  and  that  they  had  lived  so  many 
years  with  them  now,  that  if  it  was  adultery,  it  was  past  remedy ;  nothing  could  be 
done  in  it  now. 

"  Sir,"  says  he,  "  asking  your  pardon  for  such  freedom,  you  are  right  in  this, 
that,  it  being  done  in  your  absence,  you  could  not  be  charged  with  that  part  of 
the  crime ;  but,  I  beseech  you,  flatter  not  yourself  that  you  are  not,  therefore, 
under  an  obligation  to  do  your  utmost  now  to  put  an  end  to  it.  How  can  you 
think  but  that,  let  the  time  past  lie  on  whom  it  will,  all  the  guilt  for  the  future 
will  lie  entirely  upon  you?  because  it  is  certainly  in  your  power  now  to  put  an 
end  to  it,  and  in  nobody's  power  but  yours." 

I  was  so  dull  still  that  I  did  not  understand  him  right ;  but  I  imagined  that 


3oo  Robinson  Crusoe. 

by  putting  an  end  to  it,  he  meant  that  I  should  part  them,  and  not  suffer  them 
to  live  together  any  longer ;  and  I  said  to  him  I  could  not  do  that  by  any 
means,  for  that  would  put  the  whole  island  into  confusion.  He  seemed  surprised 
that  I  should  so  far  mistake  him.  "  No,  sir,"  says  he,  "I  do  not  mean  that  you 
should  now  separate  them,  but  legally  and  effectually  marry  them ;  and  as,  sir, 
my  way  of  marrying  them  may  not  be  easy  to  reconcile  them  to,  though  it  will 
be  effectual,  even  by  your  own  laws,  so  your  way  may  be  as  well  before  God,  and 
as  valid  among  men.  I  mean  by  a  written  contract,  signed  by  both  man  and 
woman,  and  by  all  the  witnesses  present,  which  all  the  laws  of  Europe  would 
decree  to  be  valid." 

I  was  amazed  to  see  so  much  true  piety,  and  so  much  sincerity  of  zeal,  besides 
the  unusual  impartiality  in  his  discourse,  as  to  his  own  party  or  church,  and  such 
true  warmth  for  preserving  the  people,  that  he  had  no  knowledge  of  or  relation 
to  ;  I  say,  for  preserving  them  from  transgressing  the  laws  of  God,  the  like  of 
which  I  had,  indeed,  not  met  with  anywhere.  But  recollecting  what  he  had  said 
of  marrying  them  by  a  written  contract,  which  I  knew  he  would  stand  to,  I  re- 
turned it  back  upon  him,  and  told  him  I  granted  all  that  he  had  said  to  be  just,  and 
on  his  part  very  kind ;  that  I  would  discourse  with  the  men  upon  the  point  now, 
when  I  came  to  them  ;  and  I  knew  no  reason  why  they  should  scruple  to  let  him 
marry  them  all,  which  I  knew  well  enough  would  be  granted  to  be  as  authentic 
and  valid  in  England  as  if  they  were  married  by  one  of  our  own  clergymen. 
What  was  afterwards  done  in  this  matter,  I  shall  speak  of  by  itself. 

I  then  pressed  him  to  tell  me  what  was  the  second  complaint  which  he  had 
to  make,  acknowledging  that  I  was  very  much  his  debtor  for  the  first,  and  thanked 
him  heartily  for  it.  He  told  me  he  would  use  the  same  freedom  and  plainness 
in  the  second,  and  hoped  I  would  take  it  as  well ;  and  this  was,  that  notwith- 
standing these  English  subjects  of  mine,  as  he  called  them,  had  lived  with  these 
women  almost  seven  years,  had  taught  them  to  speak  English  and  even  to  read 
it,  and  that  they  were,  as  he  perceived,  women  of  tolerable  understanding,  and 
capable  of  instruction,  yet  they  had  not,  to  this  hour,  taught  them  anything  of  the 
Christian  religion — no,  not  so  much  as  to  know  that  there  was  a  God,  or  a  wor- 
ship, or  in  what  manner  God  was  to  be  served,  or  that  their  own  idolatry,  and 
worshiping  they  knew  not  whom,  was  false  and  absurd.  This,  he  said,  was  an 
unaccountable  neglect,  and  what  God  would  certainly  call  them  to  account  for, 
and  perhaps  at  last  take  the  work  out  of  their  hands.  He  spoke  this  very  affec- 
tionately and  warmly.  "I  am  persuaded,"  says  he,  "had  those  men  lived  in  the 
savage  country  whence  their  wives  came,  the  savages  would  have  taken  more  pains 
to  have  brought  them  to  be  idolaters,  and  to  worship  the  devil,  than  any  of  these 
men,  so  far  as  I  can  see,  have  taken  with  them  to  teach  them  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God.  Now,  sir,"  said  he,  "  though  I  do  not  acknowledge  your  religion, 
or  you  mine,  yet  we  would  be  glad  to  see  the  devil's  servants,  and  the  subjects 
of  his  kingdom,  taught  to  know  the  general  principles  of  the  Christian  religion ; 
that  they  might,  at  least,  hear  of  God  and  a  Redeemer,  and  of  the  resurrection, 
and  of  a  future  state — things  which  we  all  believe ;   that  they  might,   at  least,  be 


The  Work  of  Conversion. 


301 


Christian 


so  much  nearer  coming  into  the  bosom  of  the  true  Church  than  they 
are  now,  in  the  public  profession  of  idolatry  and  devil-worship." 

I  could  hold  no  longer:  I  took  him  in  my 
arms,  and  embraced  him  with  an  excess  of  passion. 
"How  far,"  said  I  to  him,  "have  I  been  from 
understanding  the  most  essential  part  of  a  Christian, 
viz.,  to  love  the  interest  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  the  good  of  other  men's  souls!  I  scarce  have 
known  what  belongs  to  the  bein^ 
"Oh,  sir!  do  not  say  so," 
replied  he ;  "  this  thing 
is  not  your  fault."  "  No," 
said  I:  "but  why  did  I 
never  lay  it  to  heart  as 
well  as  you?"  "It  is  not 
too  late  yet,"  said  he ;  "  be 
not  too  forward  to  condemn 
yourself."  "But  what  can 
be  done  now?  "  said  I ; 
"  you  see  I  am  going  away." 
"  Will  you  give  me  leave  to 
talk  with  these  poor  men 
about  it?"  "Yes,  with  all 
my  heart,'.'  said  I ;  "  and 
will  oblige  them  to  give 
heed  to  what  you  say  too." 
"As  to  that,"  said  he,  "we 
must  leave  them  to  the 
mercy  of  Christ ;  but  it  is 
your  business  to  assist  them, 
encourage  them,  and  instruct 
them ;  and  if  you  give  me 
leave,  and  God  His  blessing, 
I  do  not  doubt  but  the 
poor  ignorant  souls  shall  be 
brought  home  to  the  great 
circle  of  Christianity,  if  not 
into  the  particular  faith  we 
all  embrace,  and  that  even 
while  you  stay  here.""  Upon 
this,  I  said,  "  I  shall  not 
only  give  you  leave,  but 
give  you  a  thousand  thanks 
its  place. 


WE    WALKED    OM  "     (/.    298). 


for    it."     What     followed     I     shall    mention     in 


r 

302  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  now  pressed  him  for  the  third  article  in  which  we  were  to  blame.  "  Why, 
really,"  says  he,  "it  is  of  the  same  nature.  And  I  will  proceed,  asking  your  leave, 
with  the  same  plainness  as  before.  It  is  about  your  poor  savages,  who  are,  as  I 
may  say,  your  conquered  subjects.  It  is  a  maxim,  sir,  that  is,  or  ought  to  be, 
received  among  all  Christians,  of  what  church  or  pretended  church  soever,  that 
the  Christian  knowledge  ought  to  be  propagated  by  all  possible  means,  and  on  all 
possible  occasions.  It  is  on  this  principle  that  our  Church  sends  missionaries  into 
Persia,  India,  and  China ;  and  that  our  clergy,  even  of  the  superior  sort,  willingly 
engage  in  the  most  hazardous  voyages,  and  the  most  dangerous  residence  among 
murderers  and  barbarians,  to  teach  them  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  to 
bring  them  over  to  embrace  the  Christian  faith.  Now,  sir,  you  have  such  an 
opportunity  here  to  have  six  or  seven  and  thirty  poor  savages  brought  over  from 
a  state  of  idolatry  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  their  Maker  and  Redeemer,  that  I 
wonder  how  you  can  pass  such  an  occasion  of  doing  good  which  is  really  worth 
the  expense  of  a  man's  whole  life." 

I  was  now  struck  dumb  indeed,  and  had  not  one  word  to  say.  I  had  here 
the  spirit  of  true  Christian  zeal  for  God  and  religion  before  me,  let  his  partic- 
ular principles  be  of  what  kind  soever.  As  for  me,  I  had  not  so  much  as 
entertained  a  thought  of  this  in  my  heart  before,  and  I  believe  I  should  not  have 
thought  of  it ;  for  I  looked  upon  these  savages  as  slaves,  and  people  whom,  had 
we  not  had  any  work  for  them  to  do,  we  would  have  used  as  such,  or  would  have 
been  glad  to  have  transported  them  to  any  other  part  of  the  world ;  for  our 
business  was  to  get  rid  of  them,  and  we  would  all  have  been  satisfied  if  they  had 
been  sent  to  any  country,  so  they  had  never  seen  their  own.  I  was  confounded 
at  his  discourse,  and  knew  not  what  answer  to  make  him. 

He  looked  earnestly  at  me,  seeing  me  in  some  disorder — "  Sir,"  says  he,  "  I 
shall  be  very  sorry  if  what  I  have  said  gives  you  any  offense."  "  No,  no,"  said 
I,  "I  am  offended  with  nobody  but  myself;  but  I  am  perfectly  confounded,  not 
only  to  think  that  I  should  never  take  any  notice  of  this  before,  but  with  reflecting 
what  notice  I  am  able  to  take  of  it  now.  You  know,  sir,"  said  I,  "what  circum- 
stances I  am  in  ;  I  am  bound  to  the  East  Indies  in  a  ship  freighted  by  merchants, 
and  to  whom  it  would  be  an  insufferable  piece  of  injustice  to  detain  their  ship 
here,  the  men  lying  all  this  while  at  victuals  and  wages  on  the  owners'  account. 
It  is  true,  I  agreed  to  be  allowed  twelve  days  here,  and  if  I  stay  more,  I  must 
pay  three  pounds  sterling  per  diem  demurrage ;  nor  can  I  stay  upon  demurrage 
above  eight  days  more,  and  I  have  been  here  thirteen  already ;  so  that  I  am 
perfectly  unable  to  engage  in  this  work,  unless  I  would  suffer  myself  to  be  left 
behind  here  again ;  in  which  case,  if  this  single  ship  should  miscarry  in  any  part 
of  her  voyage,  I  should  be  just  in  the  same  condition  that  I  was  left  in  here  at 
first,  and  from  which  I  have  been  so  wonderfully  delivered."  He  owned  the  case 
was  very  hard  upon  me  as  to  my  voyage ;  but  laid  it  home  upon  my  conscience, 
whether  the  blessing  of  saving  thirty-seven  souls  was  not  worth  venturing  all  I  had 
in  the  world  for.  I  was  not  so  sensible  of  that  as  he  was.  I  replied  to  him 
thus :     "  Why,  sir,  it  is  a  valuable    thing,  indeed,  to    be  an  instrument  in   God's 


The  French  Priest's  Zeal.  303 

hand  to  convert  thirty-seven  heathens  to  the  knowledge  of  Christ ;  but  as  you  are 
an  ecclesiastic,  and  are  given  over  to  the  work,  so  it  seems  so  naturally  to  fall 
into  the  way  of  your  profession ;  how  is  it,  then,  that  you  do  not  rather  offer 
yourself  to  undertake  it  than  press  me  to  do  it?  " 

Upon  this  he  faced  about  just  before  me,  as  he  walked  along,  and  putting  me 
to  a  full  stop,  made  me  a  very  low  bow.  "  I  most  heartily  thank  God  and  you, 
sir,"  said  he,  "  for  giving  me  so  evident  a  call  to  so  blessed  a  work ;  and  if  you 
think  yourself  discharged  from  it,  and  desire  me  to  undertake  it,  I  will  most 
readily  do  it,  and  think  it  a  happy  reward  for  all  the  hazards  and  difficulties  of 
such  a  broken,  disappointed  voyage  as  I  have  met  with,  that  I  am  dropped  at 
last  into  so  glorious  a  work." 

I  discovered  a  kind  of  rapture  in  his  face  while  he  spoke  this  to  me :  his  eyes 
sparkled  like  fire,  his  face  glowed,  and  his  color  came  and  went,  as  if  he  had 
been  falling  into  fits ;  in  a  word,  he  was  fired  with  the  joy  of  being  embarked  in 
such  a  work.  I  paused  a  considerable  while  before  I  could  tell  what  to  say  to 
him ;  for  I  was  really  surprised  to  find  a  man  of  such  sincerity  and  zeal,  and 
carried  out  in  his  zeal  beyond  the  ordinary  rate  of  men,  not  of  his  profession 
only,  but  even  of  any  profession  whatsoever.  But  after  I  had  considered  it  awhile, 
I  asked  him  seriously  if  he  was  in  earnest,  and  that  he  would  venture,  on  the 
single  consideration  of  an  attempt  to  convert  those  poor  people,  to  be  locked  up 
in  an  "implanted  island  for,  perhaps,  his  life,  and  at  last  might  not  know  whether 
he  should  be  able  to  do  them  good  or  not. 

He  turned  short  upon  me,  and  asked  me  what  I  called  a  venture.  "  Pray, 
sir,"  said  he,  "  what  do  you  think  I  consented  to  go  in  your  ship  to  the  East 
Indies  for?"  "Nay,"  said  I,  "that  I  know  not,  unless  it  was  to  preach  to  the 
Indians."  "Doubtless  it  was,"  said  he;  "and  do  you  think,  if  I  can  convert 
these  thirty-seven  men  to  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  is  not  worth  my  time,  though 
I  should  never  be  fetched  off  the  island  again? — nay,  is  it  not  infinitely  of  more 
worth  to  save  so  many  souls  than  my  life  is,  or  the  life  of  twenty  more  of  the 
same  profession?  Yes,  sir,"  says  he,  "I  would  give  Christ  and  the  blessed  Virgin 
thanks  all  my  days  if  I  could  be  made  the  happy  instrument  of  saving  the  souls 
of  those  poor  men,  though  I  were  never  to  get  my  foot  off  this  island,  or  see  my 
native  country  any  more.  But  since  you  will  honor  me  with  putting  me  into 
this  work,  for  which  I  will  pray  for  you  all  the  days  of  my  life,  I  have  one  hum- 
ble petition  to  you  besides."  "What  is  that?"  said  I.  "Why,"  says  he,  "it  is, 
that  you  will  leave  your  man  Friday  with  me,  to  be  my  interpreter  to  them,  and 
to  assist  me ;   for  without  some  help  I  cannot  speak  to  them,  or  they  to  me." 

I  was  sensibly  touched  at  his  requesting  Friday,  because  I  could  not  think  of 
parting  with  him,  and  that  for  many  reasons :  he  had  been  the  companion  of  my 
travels ;  he  was  not  only  faithful  to  me,  but  sincerely  affectionate  to  the  last 
degree ;  and  I  had  resolved  to  do  something  considerable  for  him  if  he  outlived 
me,  as  it  was  probable  he  would.  Then  I  knew  that,  as  I  had  bred  Friday  up 
to  be  a  Protestant,  it  would  quite  confound  him  to  bring  him  to  embrace  another 
religion ;     and   he   would   never,   while    his   eyes   were   open,   believe    that    his    old 


304  Robinson  Crusoe. 

master  was  a  heretic,  and  would  be  damned  ;  and  this  might  in  the  end  ruin  the 
poor  fellow's  principles,  and  so  turn  him  back  again  to  his  first  idolatry.  How- 
ever, a  sudden  thought  relieved  me  in  this  strait,  and  it  was  this :  I  told  him  I 
could  not  say  that  I  was  willing  to  part  with  Friday  on  any  account  whatever, 
though  a  work  that  to  him  was  of  more  value  than  his  life  ought  to  be  to  me  of 
much  more  value  than  the  keeping  or  parting  with  a  servant.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  I  was  persuaded  that  Friday  would  by  no  means  agree  to  part  with  me ; 
and  I  could  not  force  him  to  it  without  his  consent,  without  manifest  injustice ; 
because  I  had  promised  'I  would  never  send  him  away,  and  he  had  promised  and 
engaged  to  me  that  he  would  never  leave  me,  unless  I  sent  him  away. 

He  seemed  very  much  concerned  at  it,  for  he  had  no  rational  access  to  these 
poor  people,  seeing  he  did  not  understand  one  word  of  their  language,  nor  they 
one  of  his.  To  remove  this  difficulty,  I  told  him  Friday's  father  had  learned 
Spanish,  which  I  found  he  also  understood,  and  he  should  serve  him  as  an  inter- 
preter. So  he  was  much  better  satisfied,  and  nothing  could  persuade  him  but  he 
would  stay  and  endeavor  to  convert  them ;  but  Providence  gave  another  very 
happy  turn  to  all  this. 

I  come  back  now  to  the  first  part  of  his  objections.  When  we  came  to  the 
Englishmen,  I  sent  for  them  all  together,  and  after  some  account  given  them  of 
what  I  had  done  for  them,  viz.,  what  necessary  things  I  had  provided  for  them, 
and  how  they  were  distributed,  which  they  were  very  sensible  of,  and  very  thankful 
for,  I  began  to  talk  to  them  of  the  scandalous  life  they  led,  and  gave  them  a  full 
account  of  the  notice  the  clergyman  had  taken  of  if ;  and  arguing  how  unchristian 
and  irreligious  a  life  it  was,  I  first  asked  them  if  they  were  married  men  or 
bachelors.  They  soon  explained  their  condition  to  me,  and  showed  that  two  of 
them  were  widowers,  and  the  other  three  were  single  men,  or  bachelors.  I  asked 
them  with  what  conscience  they  could  take  these  women,  and  call  them  their 
wives,  and  have  so  many  children  by  them,  and  not  be  lawfully  married  to  them. 

They  all  gave  me  the  answer  I  expected,  viz.,  that  there  was  nobody  to  marry 
them  ;  that  they  agreed  before  the  governor  to  keep  them  as  their  wives,  and  to 
maintain  them  and  own  them  as  their  wives ;  and  they  thought,  as  things  stood 
with  them,  they  were  as  legally  married  as  if  they  had  been  married  by  a  parson, 
and  with  all  the  formalities  in  the  world. 

I  told  them  that  no  doubt  they  were  married  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  were 
bound  in  conscience  to  keep  them  as  their  wives ;  but  that  the  laws  of  men  being 
otherwise,  they  might  desert  the  poor  women  and  children  hereafter ;  and  that  their 
wives,  being  poor  desolate  women,  friendless  and  moneyless,  would  have  no  way 
to  help  themselves.  I  therefore  told  them  that,  unless  I  was  assured  of  their 
honest  intent,  I  could  do  nothing  for  them,  but  would  take  care  that  what  I  did 
should  be  for  the  women  and  children  without  them ;  and  that,  unless  they  would 
give  me  some  assurances  that  they  would  marry  the  women,  I  could  not  think  it 
was  convenient  they  should  continue  together  as  man  and  wife  ;  for  that  it  was 
both  scandalous  to  men  and  offensive  to  God,  who  they  could  not  think  would 
bless  them  if  they  went  on  thus. 


The  Marriage  Ceremony. 


305 


All  this  went  on  as  I  expected ;  and  they  told  me,  especially  Will  Atkins,  who 
now  seemed  to  speak  for  the  rest,  that  they  loved  their  wives  as  well  as  if  they 
had  been  born  in  their  own  native  country,  and  would  not  leave  them  on  any 
account  whatever ;  and  they  did  verily  believe  that  their  wives  were  as  virtuous 
and  as  modest,  and  did,  to   the  utmost  of  their  skill,  as  much  for  them  and  for 


-v« 


m 


"MADE    ME    A.    VERY    LOW    BOW  "    (/.    303). 


their  children  as  any  women  could  possibly  do ;  and  they  would  not  part  with 
them  on  any  account ;  and  Will  Atkins,  for  his  own  particular,  added,  that  if  any 
man  would  take  him  away,  and  offer  to  carry  him  home  to  England,  and  make 
him  captain  of  the  best  man-of-war  in  the  navy,  he  would  not  go  with  him  if  he 
might  not  carry  his  wife  and  children  with  him ;  and  if  there  was  a  clergyman  in 
the  ship,  he  would  be  married  to  her  now  with  all  his  heart. 

This  was  just  as  I  would  have  it.  The  priest  was  not  with  me  at  that  moment, 
but  was  not  far  off :  so  to  try  him  farther,  I  told  him  I  had  a  clergyman  with  me, 
and,  if  he  was  sincere,  I  would  have  him  married  next  morning,  and  bade  him 
consider  of  it,  and  talk  with  the  rest.  He  said,  as  for  himself,  he  need  not 
consider   of  it  at  all,  for   he    was   very  ready   to   do  it,    and   was    glad    I   had  a 


306  Robinson  Crusoe. 

minister  with  me,  and  he  believed  they  would  be  all  willing  also.  I  then  told 
him  that  my  friend,  the  minister,  was  a  Frenchman,  and  could  not  speak  English, 
but  I  would  act  the  clerk  between  them.  He  never  so  much  as  asked  me 
whether  he  was  a  Papist  or  Protestant,  which  was,  indeed,  what  I  was  afraid  of ; 
so  we  parted :  I  went  back  to  my  clergyman,  and  Will  Atkins  went  in  to  talk 
with  his  companions.  I  desired  the  French  gentleman  not  to  say  anything  to  them 
till  the  business  was  thoroughly  ripe ;  and  I  told  him  what  answer  the  men  had 
given  me. 

Before  I  went  from  their  quarter  they  all  came  to  me,  and  told  me  they  had 
been  considering  what  I  had  said ;  that  they  were  glad  to  hear  I  had  a  clergyman 
in  my  company,  and  they  were  very  willing  to  give  me  the  satisfaction  I  desired, 
and  to  be  formally  married  as  soon  as  I  pleased ;  for  they  were  far  from  desiring 
to  part  with  their  wives,  and  that  they  meant  nothing  but  what  was  very  honest 
when  they  chose  them.  So  I  appointed  them  to  meet  me  the  next  morning ;  and, 
in  the  meantime,  they  should  let  their  wives  know  the  meaning  of  the  marriage 
law ;  and  that  it  was  not  only  to  prevent  any  scandal,  but  also  to  oblige  them  that 
they  should  not  forsake  them,  whatever  might  happen. 

The  women  were  easily  made  sensible  of  the  meaning  of  the  thing,  and  were 
very  well  satisfied  with  it,  as,  indeed,  they  had  reason  to  be :  so  they  failed  not 
to  attend  altogether  at  my  apartment  next  morning,  where  I  brought  out  my 
clergyman ;  and  though  he  had  not  on  a  minister's  gown,  after  the  manner  of 
England,  or  the  habit  of  a  priest,  after  the  manner  of  France,  yet  having  a  black 
vest  something  like  a  cassock,  with  a  sash  round  it,  he  did  not  look  very  unlike 
a  minister ;  and  as  for  his  language,  I  was  his  interpreter.  But  the  seriousness  of 
his  behavior  to  them,  and  the  scruples  he  made  of  marrying  the  women,  because 
they  were  not  baptized  and  professed  Christians,  gave  them  an  exceeding  reverence 
for  his  person ;  and  there  was  no  need,  after  that,  to  inquire  whether  he  was  a 
clergyman  or  not.  Indeed,  I  was  afraid  his  scruples  would  have  been  carried  so 
far  as  that  he  would  not  have  married  them  at  all ;  nay,  notwithstanding  all  I  was 
able  to  say  to  him,  he  resisted  me,  though  modestly,  yet  very  steadily,  and  at  last 
refused  absolutely  to  marry  them,  unless  he  had  first  talked  with  the  men  and  the 
women  too  ;  and  though  at  first  I  was  a  little  backward  to  it,  yet  at  last  I  agreed 
to  it  with  a  good  will,  perceiving  the  sincerity  of  his  design. 

When  he  came  to  them,  he  let  them  know  that  I  had  acquainted  him  with 
their  circumstances,  and  with  the  present  design ;  that  he  was  very  willing  to 
perform  that  part  of  his  function,  and  marry  them,  as  I  had  desired ;  but  that 
before  he  could  do  it  he  must  take  the  liberty  to  talk  with  them.  He  told  them 
that  in  the  sight  of  all  indifferent  men  and  in  the  sense  of  the  laws  of  society, 
they'  had  lived  all  this  while  in  open  fornication  ;  and  that  it  was  true  that  nothing 
but  the  consenting  to  marry,  or  effectually  separating  them  from  one  another,  could 
now  put  an  end  to  it ;  but  there  was  a  difficulty  in  it  too,  with  respect  to  the 
laws  of  Christian  matrimony,  which  he  was  not  fully  satisfied  about,  that  of 
marrying  one  that  is  a  professed  Christian  to  a  savage,  an  idolater,  and  a  heathen 
— one  that  is  not  baptized ;   and  yet  that  he  did  not  see  that  there  was  time  left 


The  Marriage  Ceremony.  307 

to  endeavor  to  persuade  the  women  to  be  baptized,  or  to  profess  the  name  of 
Christ,  whom  they  had,  he  doubted,  heard  nothing  of,  and  without  which  they 
could  not  be  baptized.  He  told  them  he  doubted  they  were  but  indifferent 
Christians  themselves ;  that  they  had  but  little  knowledge  of  God  or  of  His  ways, 
and  therefore  he  could  not  expect  that  they  had  said  much  to  their  wives  on  that 
head  yet ;  but  that  unless  they  would  promise  him  to  use  their  endeavors  with 
their  wives  to  persuade  them  to  become  Christians,  and  would,  as  well  as  they 
could,  instruct  them  in  the  knowledge  and  belief  of  God  that  made  them,  and  to 
worship  Jesus  Christ  that  redeemed  them,  he  could  not  marry  them ;  for  he  would 
have  no  hand  in  joining  Christians  with  savages,  nor  was  it  consistent  with 
the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  was,  indeed,  expressly  forbidden  in 
God's  law. 

They  heard  all  this  very  attentively,  and  I  delivered  it  very  faithfully  to  them 
from  his  mouth,  as  near  his  own  words  as  I  could,  only  sometimes  adding  some- 
thing of  my  own,  to  convince  them  how  just  it  was,  and  that  I  was  of  his  mind ; 
and  I  always  very  faithfully  distinguished  between  what  I  said  from  myself,  and 
what  were  the  clergyman's  words.  They  told  me  it  was  very  true  what  the  gentle- 
man said,  that  they  were  very  indifferent  Christians  themselves,  and  that  they  had 
never  talked  to  their  wives  about  religion.  "Lord,  sir,"  says  Will  Atkins,  "how 
should  we  teach  them  religion?  Why,  we  know  nothing  ourselves;  and  besides, 
sir,"  said  he,  "should  we  talk  to  them  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ,  and  heaven  and 
hell,  it  would  make  them  laugh  at  us,  and  ask  us  what  we  believe  ourselves.  And 
if  we  should  tell  them  that  we  believe  all  the  things  we  speak  of  to  them,  such 
as  of  good  people  going  to  heaven,  and  wicked  people  to  the  devil,  they  would 
ask  us  where  we  intend  to  go  ourselves,  that  believe  all  this,  and  are  such  wicked 
fellows  as  we  indeed  are.  Why,  sir,  'tis  enough  to  give  them  a  surfeit  of  religion 
at  first  hearing ;  folks  must  have  some  religion  themselves  before  they  pretend  to 
teach  other  people."  "Will  Atkins,"  said  I  to  him,  "though  I  am  afraid  that  what 
you  say  has  too  much  truth  in  it,  yet  can  you  not  tell  your  wife  she  is  in  the 
wrong ;  that  there  is  a  God,  and  a  religion  better  than  her  own ;  that  her  gods 
are  idols ;  that  they  can  neither  hear  nor  speak ;  that  there  is  a  great  Being  that 
made  all  things,  and  that  can  destroy  all  that  He  has  made ;  that  He  rewards  the 
good  and  punishes  the  bad ;  and  that  we  are  to  be  judged  by  Him  at  last  for  all 
we  do  here?  You  are  not  so  ignorant,  but  even  Nature  itself  will  teach  you  that 
all  this  is  true ;  and  I  am  satisfied  you  know  it  all  to  be  true,  and  believe  it  your- 
self." "  That  is  true,  sir,"  said  Atkins ;  "  but  with  what  face  can  I  say  anything 
to  my  wife  of  all  this,  when  she  will  tell  me  immediately  it  cannot  be  true?" 
"Not  true!"  said  I;  "what  do  you  mean  by  that?"  "  Why,  sir,"  said  he,  "she 
will  tell  me  it  cannot  be  true  that  this  God  I  shall  tell  her  of  can  be  just,  or  can 
punish  or  reward,  since  I  am  not  punished  and  sent  to  the  devil,  that  have  been 
such  a  wicked  creature  as  she  knows  I  have  been,  even  to  her,  and  to  everybody 
else ;  and  that  I  should  be  suffered  to  live,  that  have  been  always  acting  so 
contrary  to  what  I  must  tell  her  is  good,  and  to  what  I  ought  to  have  done." 
"Why,  truly,  Atkins,"  said  I,  "I  am  afraid  thou  speakest   too  much  truth,"  and 


3o8 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


with  that  I  informed  the  clergyman  of  what  Atkins  had  said,  for  he  was  impatient 
to  know.  "Oh,"  said  the  priest,  "tell  him  there  is  one  thing  will  make  him  the 
best  minister  in  the  world  to  his  wife,  and  that  is  repentance ;  for  none  teach 
repentance  like  true  penitents.  He  wants  nothinr  but  to  repent,  and  then  he  will 
be  so  much  the  better  qualified  to  instruct  his  wife  ;  he  will  then  be  able  to  tell 
her  that  there  is  not  only  a  God,  and  that  He  is  the  just  rewarder  of  good  and 


Ntkwfeq  ■  ** 


THEY    ALL    CAME    TO    ME"    (/.   306). 


evil,  but  that  He  is  a  merciful  Being,  and,  with  infinite  goodness  and  long-suffering, 
forbears  to  punish  those  that  offend ;  waiting  to  be  gracious,  and  willing  not  the 
death  of  a  sinner,  but  rather  that  he  should  return  and  live ;  that  oftentimes  He 
suffers  wicked  men  to  go  a  long  time,  and  even  reserves  damnation  to  the  general 
day  of  retribution  ;  that  it  is  a  clear  evidence  of  God  and  of  a  future  state,  that 
righteous  men  receive  not  their  reward,  or  wicked  men  their  punishment,  till  they 
come  into  another  world  ;  and  this  will  lead  him  to  teach  his  wife  the  doctrine  of 
the  resurrection  and  of  the  last  judgment.  Let  him  but  repent  himself,  he  will  be 
an  excellent  preacher  of  repentance  to  his  wife." 

I  repeated  all  this  to  Atkins,  who  looked  very  serious  all  the  while,  and  who, 
we  could  easily  perceive,  was  more  than  ordinarily  affected  with  it ;  when  being 
eager,  and  hardly  suffering  me  to  make  an  end — "  I  know  all  this,  master,"  says 
he,  "  and  a  great  deal  more  ;    but  1  have  not  the  impudence  to  talk   thus  to  my 


Will  Atkins  has  Scruples.  309 

wife,  when  God  and  my  conscience  know,  and  my  wife  will  be  an  undeniable 
evidence  against  me,  that  I  have  lived  as  if  I  had  never  heard  of  a  God  or 
future  state,  or  anything  about  it;  and  to  talk  of  my  repenting,  alas!"  (and  with 
that  he  fetched  a  deep  sigh,  and  I  could  see  that  the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes) 
"  'tis  past  all  that  with  me."  "  Past  it,  Atkins?  "  said  I :  "what  dost  thou  mean  by 
that?"  "I  know  well  enough  what  I  mean,"  says  he,  "I  mean  'tis  too  late,  and 
that  is  too  true." 

I  told  the  clergyman,  word  for  word,  what  he  said :  the  poor,  zealous  priest — 
I  must  call  him  so,  for,  be  his  opinion  what  it  will,  he  had  certainly  a  most  sin- 
gular affection-  for  the  good  of  other  men's  souls,  and  it  would  be  hard  to  think 
he  had  not  the .  like  for  his  own — I  say,  this  affectionate  man  could  not  refrain 
from  tears ;  but,  recovering  himself,  said  to  me,  "Ask  him  but  one  question.  Is 
he  easy  that  it  is  too  late;  or  is  he  troubled,  and  wishes  it  were  not  so?"  I 
put  the  question  fairly  to  Atkins  ;  and  he  answered,  with  a  great  deal  of  passion, 
"  How  could  any  man  be  easy  in  a  condition  that  must  certainly  end  in  eternal 
destruction  ?  that  he  was  far  from  being  easy ;  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  he 
believed  it  would  one  time  or  other  ruin  him."  "What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 
said  I.  "Why,"  he  said,  "he  believed  he  should  one  time  or  other  cut  his 
throat,  to  put  an  end  to  the  terror  of  it." 

The  clergyman  shook  his  head,  with  great  concern  in  his  face,  when  I  told 
him  all  this ;  but  turning  quick  to  me  upon  it,  says,  "  If  that  be  his  case,  we 
may  assure  him  it  is  not  too  late ;  Christ  will  give  him  repentance.  But  pray," 
says  he,  "explain  this  to  him;  that  as  no  man  is  saved  but  by  Christ,  and  the 
merit  of  His  passion  procuring  Divine  mercy  for  him,  how  can  it  be  too  late  for 
any  man  to  receive  mercy?  Does  he  think  he  is  able  to  sin  beyond  the  power 
or  reach  of  Divine  mercy?  Pray  tell  him  there  may  be  a  time  when  provoked 
mercy  will  no  longer  strive,  and  when  God  may  refuse  to  hear,  but  that  it  is 
never  too  late  for  men  to  ask  mercy ;  and  we,  that  are  Christ's  servants,  are  com- 
manded to  preach  mercy  at  all  times,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  all  those 
that  sincerely  repent:    so  that  it  is  never  too  late  to  repent." 

I  told  Atkins  all  this,  and  he  heard  me  with  great  earnestness ;  but  it  seemed 
as  if  he  turned  off  the  discourse  to  the  rest,  for  he  said  to  me,  he  would  go  and 
have  some  talk  with  his  wife  ;  so  he  went  out  awhile,  and  we  talked  to  the  rest. 
I  perceived  they  were  all  stupidly  ignorant  as  to  matters  of  religion,  as  much  as  I 
was  when  I  went  rambling  away  from  my  father ;  and  yet  there  were  none  of  them 
backward  to  hear  what  had  been  said :  and  all  of  them  seriously  promised  that 
they  would  talk  with  their  wives  about  it,  and  do  their  endeavors  to  persuade  them 
to  turn  Christians. 

The  clergyman  smiled  upon  me  when  I  reported  what  answer  they  gave,  but 
said  nothing  a  good  while  ;  but  at  last,  shaking  his  head,  "  We  that  are  Christ's 
servants,"  says  he,  "  can  go  no  farther  than  to  exhort  and  instruct ;  and  when  men 
comply,  submit  to  the  reproof,  and  promise  what  we  ask,  'tis  all  we  can  do ;  we 
are  bound  to  accept  their  good  words;  but  believe  me,  sir,"  said  he,  "whatever 
you  may  have  known  of  the  life  of  that  man   you  call  Will  Atkins,   I   believe  he 


310  Robinson  Crusoe. 

is  the  only  sincere  convert  among  them :  I  will  not  despair  of  the  rest ;  but  that 
man  is  apparently  struck  with  the  sense  of  his  past  life,  and  I  doubt  not,  when 
he  comes  to  talk  of  religion  to  his  wife,  he  will  talk  himself  effectually  into 
it :  for  attempting  to  teach  others  is  sometimes  the  best  way  of  teaching  ourselves. 
I  know  a  man  who,  having  nothing  but  a  summary  notion  of  religion  himself,  and 
being  wicked  and  profligate  to  the  last  degree  in  his  life,  made  a  thorough  ref- 
ormation in  himself  by  laboring  to  convert  a  Jew.  If  that  poor  Atkins  begins 
but  once  to  talk  seriously  of  Jesus  Christ  to  his  wife,  my  life  for  it  he  talks  him- 
self into  a  thorough  convert,  makes  himself  a  penitent ;  and  who  knows  what 
may  follow?  " 

Upon  this  discourse,  however,  and  their  promising,  as  above,  to  endeavor  to 
persuade  their  wives  to  embrace  Christianity,  he  married  the  other  two  couple ; 
but  Will  Atkins  and  his  wife  were  not  yet  come  in.  After  this,  my  clergyman 
waiting  awhile,  was  curious  to  know  where  Atkins  was  gone ;  and  turning  to  me, 
said,  "  I  entreat  you,  sir,  let  us  walk  out  of  your  labyrinth  here,  and  look ;  I 
dare  say  we  shall  find  this  poor  man  somewhere  or  other  talking  seriously  to  his 
wife,  and  teaching  her  already  something  of  religion."  I  began  to  be  of  the  same 
mind  ;  so  we  went  out  together,  and  I  carried  him  a  way  which  none  knew  but 
myself,  and  where  the  trees  were  so  very  thick  that  it  was  not  easy  to  see 
through  the  thicket  of  leaves,  and  far  harder  to  see  in  than  to  see  out :  when, 
coming  to  the  edge  of  the  wood,  I  saw  Atkins  and  his  tawny  wife  sitting  under 
the  shade  of  a  bush,  very  eager  in  discourse ;  I  stopped  short  till  my  clergyman 
came  up  to  me,  and  then,  having  shown  him  where  they  were,  we  stood  and 
looked  very  steadily  at  them  a  good  while.  We  observed  him  very  earnest  with 
her,  pointing  up  to  the  sun,  and  to  every  quarter  of  the  heavens,  and  then  down 
to  the  earth,  then  out  to  the  sea,  then  to  himself,  then  to  her,  to  the  woods,  to 
the  trees.  "  Now,"  says  the  clergyman,  "  you  see  my  words  are  made  good,  the 
man  preaches  to  her ;  mark  him  now,  he  is  telling  her  that  our  God  has  made 
him  and  her,  and  the  heavens,  the  earth,  the  sea,  the  woods,  the  trees,  etc."  "  I 
believe  he  is,"  said  I.  Immediately,  wre  perceived  Will  Atkins  start  upon  his  feet, 
fall  down  on  his  knees,  and  lift  up  both  his  hands.  We  supposed  he  said 
something,  but  we  could  not  hear  him ;  it  was  too  far  for  that.  He  did  not 
continue  kneeling  half  a  minute,  but  comes  and  sits  down  again  by  his  wife,  and 
talks  to  her  again ;  we  perceived  then  the  woman  very  attentive,  but  whether 
she  said  anything  to  him  we  could  not  tell.  While  the  poor  fellow  was  upon  his 
knees  I  could  see  the  tears  run  plentifully  down  my  clergyman's  cheeks,  and  I 
could  hardly  forbear  myself :  but  it  was  a  great  affliction  to  us  both  that  we  were 
not  near  enough  to  hear  anything  that  passed  between  them.  Well,  however,  we 
could  come  no  nearer  for  fear  of  disturbing  them ;  so  we  resolved  to  see  an  end 
of  this  piece  of  still  conversation,  and  it  spoke  loud  enough  to  us  without  the 
help  of  voice.  He  sat  down  again,  as  I  have  said,  close  by  her,  and  talked 
again  earnestly  to  her,  and  tAvo  or  three  times  we  could  see  him  embrace  her 
most  passionately ;  another  time  we  saw  him  take  out  his  handkerchief  and  wipe 
her   eyes,   and   then   kiss  her   again   with   a   kind   of   transport  very  unusual ;    and 


The  Conversion.  311 

after  several  of  these  things,  we  saw  him  on  a  sudden  jump  up  again,  and  lend 
her  his  hand  to  help  her  up,  when  immediately  leading  her  by  the  hand  a  step 
or  two,  they  both  kneeled  down  together,  and  continued  so  about  two  minutes. 

My  friend  could  bear  it  no  longer,  but  cries  out  aloud,  "St.  Paul!  St.  Paul! 
behold,  he  prayeth!"  I  was  afraid  Atkins  would  hear  him,  therefore  I  entreated 
him  to  withhold  himself  awhile,  that  we  might  see  an  end  to  the  scene,  which  to 
me,  I  must  confess,  was  the  most  affecting  that  I  ever  saw  in  my  life.  Well,  he 
strove  with  himself  for  awhile,  but  was  in  such  raptures,  to  think  that  the  poor 
heathen  woman  was  become  a  Christian,  that  he  was  not  able  to  contain  himself ; 
he  wept  several  times,  then  throwing  up  his  hands  and  crossing  his  breast,  said 
over  several  things  ejaculatory,  and  by  the  way  of  giving  God  thanks  for  so 
miraculous  a  testimony  of  the  success  of  our  endeavors ;  some  he  spoke  softly, 
and  I  could  not  well  hear  others ;  some  in  Latin',  some  in  French ;  then  two  or 
three  times  the  tears  would  interrupt  him,  that  he  could  not  speak  at  all ;  but  I 
begged  that  he  would  contain  himself,  and  let  us  more  narrowly  and  fully  observe 
what  was  before  us,  which  he  did  for  a  time,  the  scene  not  being  near  ended 
yet ;  for  after  the  poor  man  and  his  wife  were  risen  again  from  their  knees,  we 
observed  he  stood  talking  still  eagerly  to  her,  and  we  observed  by  her  motion, 
that  she  was  greatly  affected  with  what  he  said,  by  her  frequently  lifting  up  her 
hands,  laying  her  hand  to  her  breast,  and  such  other  postures  as  express  the 
greatest  seriousness  and  attention  ;  this  continued  about  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour ; 
and  then  they  walked  away  so  we  could  see  no  more  of  them  in  that  situation. 
I  took  this  interval  to  say  to  the  clergyman,  first,  that  I  was  glad  to  see  the 
particulars  we  had  both  been  witness  to ;  that,  though  I  was  hard  enough  of 
belief  in  such  cases,  yet  that  I  began  to  think  that  it  was  all  very  sincere  here, 
both  in  the  man  and  his  wife,  however  ignorant  they  might  both  be,  and  I  hoped 
such  a  beginning  would  yet  have  a  more  happy  end :  "And  who  knows,"  said  I, 
"  but  these  two  may  in  time,  by  instruction  and  example,  work  upon  some  of  the 
others?"  "Some  of  them?"  said  he,  turning  quick  upon  me;  "aye,  upon  all  of 
them ;  depend  upon  it,  if  those  two  savages — for  he  has  been  but  little  better  as 
you  relate  it — should  embrace  Jesus  Christ,  they  will  never  leave  till  they  work 
upon  all  the  rest ;  for  true  religion  is  naturally  communicative,  and  he  that  is 
once  made  a  Christian  will  never  leave  a  Pagan  behind  him,  if  he  can  help  it." 
I  owned  it  was  a  most  Christian  principle  to  think  so,  and  a  testimony  of  true 
zeal,  as  well  as  a  generous  heart,  in  him.  "  But,  my  friend,"  said  I,  "  will  you 
give  me  leave  to  start  one  difficulty  here?  I  cannot  tell  how  to  object  the  least 
thing  against  that  affectionate  concern  which  you  show  for  the  turning  of  the 
poor  people  from  their  Paganism  to  the  Christian  religion ;  but  how  does  this 
comfort  you,  while  these  people  are,  in  your  account,  out  of  the  pale  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  without  which  you  believe  there  is  no  salvation?  so  that  you 
esteem  these  but  heretics,  as  effectually  lost  as  the  Pagans  themselves." 

To  this  he  answered  with  abundance  of  candor,  thus :  "  Sir,  I  am  a  Catholic 
of  the  Roman  Church,  and  a  priVot  of  the  order  of  St.  Benedict,  and  I  embrace 
all  the  principles  of  the  Roman  faith ;   but  yet,  if  you  will  believe  me,  and  that 


312  Robinson  Crusoe. 

I  do  not  speak  in  compliment  to  you,  or  in  respect  to  my  circumstances  and 
your  civilities ;  1  say,  nevertheless,  I  do  not  look  upon  you,  who  call  yourselves 
reformed,  without  some  charity :  I  dare  not  say  (though  I  know  it  is  our  opinion 
in  general)  that  you  cannot  be  saved ;  I  will  by  no  means  limit  the  mercy  of 
Christ  so  far  as  think  that  He  cannot  receive  you  into  the  bosom  of  His  Church, 
in  a  manner  to  us  unperceivable ;  and  I  hope  you  have  the  same  charity  for  us : 
I  pray  daily  for  your  being  all  restored  to  Christ's  Church,  by  whatsoever  method 
He,  who  is  all-wise,  is  pleased  to  direct.  In  the  meantime,  surely  you  will  allow 
it  consists  with  me,  as  a  Roman,  to  distinguish  far  between  a  Protestant  and  a 
Pagan ;  between  one  that  calls  on  Jesus  Christ,  though  in  a  way  which  I  do  not 
think  is  according  to  the  true  faith,  and  a  savage  or  a  barbarian,  that  knows  no 
God,  no  Christ,  no  Redeemer ;  and  if  you  are  not  within  the  pale  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  we  hope  you  are  nearer  being  restored  to  it  than  those  who 
know  nothing  of  God  or  of  His  Church :  and  I  rejoice,  therefore,  when  I  see  this 
poor  man,  who,  you  say,  has  been  a  profligate,  and  almost  a  murderer,  kneel 
down  and  pray  to  Jesus  Christ,  as  we  suppose  he  did,  though  not  fully  en- 
lightened ;  believing  that  God,  from  whom  every  such  work  proceeds,  will  sensibly 
touch  his  heart,  and  bring  him  to  the  further  knowledge  of  that  truth  in  His  own 
rime ;  and  if  God  shall  influence  this  poor  man  to  convert  and  instruct  the 
ignorant  savage,  his  wife,  I  can  never  believe  that  he  shall  be  cast  away  himself. 
And  have  I  not  reason,  then,  to  rejoice,  the  nearer  any  are  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  Christ,  though  they  may  not  be  brought  quite  home  into  the  bosom  of 
the  Catholic  Church  just  at  the  time  when  I  may  desire  it,  leaving  it  to  the 
goodness  of  Christ  to  perfect  His  work  in  His  own  time,  and  in  His  own  way? 
Certainly,  I  would  rejoice  if  all  the  savages  in  America  were  brought,  like  this 
pool  woman,  to  pray  to  God,  though  they  were  all  to  be  Protestants  at  first, 
rather  than  they  should  continue  Pagans  or  heathens ;  firmly  believing  that  He 
that  had  bestowed  the  first  light  on  them  would  farther  illuminate  them  with  a 
beam  of  His  heavenly  grace,  and  bring  them  into  the  pale  of  His  Church,  when  He 
should  see  good." 

I  was  astonished  at  the  sincerity  and  temper  of  this  pious  Papist,  as  much  as 
I  was  oppressed  by  the  power  of  his  reasoning ;  and  it  presently  occurred  to  my 
thoughts,  that  if  such  a  temper  was  universal,  we  might  be  all  Catholic  Christians, 
whatever  Church  or  particular  profession  we  joined  in ;  that  a  spirit  of  charity 
would  soon  work  us  all  up  into  right  principles ;  and  as  he  thought  that  the  like 
charity  would  make  us  all  Catholics,  so  I  told  him  I  believed,  had  all  the 
members  of  his  Church  the  like  moderation,  they  would  soon  all  be  Protestants. 
And  there  we  left  that  part ;    for  we  never  disputed  at  all. 

However,  I  talked  to  him  another  way,  and  taking  him  by  the  hand,  "  My 
friend,"  says  I,  "  I  wish  all  the  clergy  of  the  Romish  Church  were  blessed  with 
such  moderation,  and  had  an  equal  share  of  your  charity.  I  am  entirely  of  your 
opinion  ;  but  I  must  tell  you,  that  if  you  should  preach  such  doctrine  in  Spain  or 
Italy,  they  would  put  you  into  the  Inquisition,"  "It  may  be  so,"  said  he;  "I 
know  not  what  they  would  do  in  Spain  or  Italy ;  but  I  will  not  say  they  would 


Our  Talk  with  Atkins. 


3*3 


be   the   better   Christians  for   that  severity ;    for   I   am   sure   there   is   no   heresy  in 
abounding  with  charity." 

Well,  as  Will  Atkins  and  his  wife  were  gone,  our  business  there  was  over,  so 
we  went  back  our  own  way ;  and  when  we  came  back,  we  found  them  waiting 
to  be  called  in :  observing  this,  I  asked  my  clergyman  if  we  should  discover  to 
him  that  we  had  seen   him  under  the  bush   or   not ;   and   it  was  his  opinion  we 


"ATKINS    AND    HIS    TAWNY    WIFE"    (/>.   3IO). 


should  not,  but  that  we  should  talk  to  him  first,  and  hear  what  he  would  say 
to  us ;  so  we  called  him  in  alone,  nobody  being  in  the  place  but  ourselves,  and 
I  began  with  him  thus :  — 

"Will  Atkins,"  said  I,  "  prythee  Avhat  education  had  you?  What  was  your 
father?  " 

W.  A. — A  better  man  than  ever  I  shall  be ;   sir,  my  father  was  a  clergyman. 

R-  C. — What  education  did  he  give  you? 

W.  A. — He  would  have  taught  me  well,  sir,  but  I  despised  all  education, 
instruction,  or  correction,  like  a  beast  as  I  was. 

R.  C. — It  is  true,  Solomon  says,  "  He  that  despises  reproof  is  brutish." 


314  Robinson  Crusoe. 

IV.  A. — Aye,  sir,  I  was  brutish  indeed,  for  I  murdered  my  father :  for  God's 
sake,  sir,  talk  no  more  about  that ;    sir,  I  murdered  my  poor  father. 

R.  C. — Ha!    a  murderer! 

Here  the  priest  started  (for  I  interpreted  every  word  he  spoke)  and  looked  pale : 
it  seems  he  believed  that  Will  had  really  killed  his  father, 

R.  C. — No,  no,  sir ;  I  do  not  understand  him  so  :  Will  Atkins,  explain  yourself ; 
you  did  not  kill  your  father,  did  you,  with  your  own  hands? 

IV  A. — No,  sir,  I  did  not  cut  his  throat ;  but  I  cut  the  thread  of  all  his 
comforts,  and  shortened  his  days  ;  I  broke  his  heart  by  the  most  ungrateful,  un- 
natural return  for  the  most  tender  and  affectionate  treatment  that  ever  father  gave, 
or  child  could  receive. 

R.  C. — Well,  I  did  not  ask  you  about  your  father  to  extort  this  confession :  I 
pray  God  give  you  repentance  for  it,  and  forgive  that  and  all  your  other  sins ; 
but  I  asked  you  because  I  see  that  though  you  have  not  much  learning,  yet  you  are 
not  so  ignorant  as  some  are  in  things  that  are  good ;  that  you  have  known  more  of 
religion,  a  great  deal,  than  you  have  practiced. 

IV.  A. — Though  you,  sir,  do  not  extort  the  confession  that  I  make  about  my 
father,  conscience  does  ;  and  whenever  we  come  to  look  back  upon  our  lives,  the  sins 
against  our  indulgent  parents  are  certainly  the  first  to  touch  us ;  the  wounds  they 
make  lie  deepest,  and  the  weight  they  leave  will  lie  heaviest  upon  the  mind,  of  all  the 
sins  we  can  commit. 

R.  C. — You  talk  too  feelingly  and  sensibly  for  me,  Atkins ;    I  cannot  bear  it. 

W.  A. — You  bear  it,  master!    I  dare  say  you  know  nothing  of  it. 

R.  C. — Yes,  Atkins ;  every  shore,  every  hill,  nay,  I  may  say  every  tree  in  this 
island,  is  witness  to  the  anguish  of  my  soul  for  my  ingratitude  to,  and  bad  usage 
of,  a  good  tender  father ;  a  father  much  like  yours,  by  your  description ;  and  I 
murdered  my  father  as  wellas  you,  Will  Atkins  ;  but  I  think,  for  all  that,  my  repent- 
ance is  short  of  yours  too,  by  a  great  deal. 

I  would  have  said  more,  if  I  could  have  restrained  my  passions ;  but  I  thought 
this  poor  man's  repentance  was  so  much  sincerer  than  mine,  that  I  was  going  to 
leave  off  the  discourse  and  retire ;  for  I  was  surprised  with  what  he  had  said,  and 
thought  that  instead  of  my  going  about  to  teach  and  instruct  him,  the  man  was 
made  a  teacher  and  instructor  to  me  in  a  most  surprising  and  unexpected 
manner. 

I  laid  all  this  before  the  young  clergyman,  who  was  greatly  affected  with  it,  and 
said  to  me,  "  Did  I  not  say,  sir,  that  when  this  man  was  converted  he  would 
preach  to  us  all?  I  tell  you,  sir,  if  this  one  man  be  made  a  true  penitent,  here  will 
be  no  need  of  me ;  he  will  make  Christians  of  all  in  the  island."  But  having  a  little 
composed  myself,  I  renewed  my  discourse  with  Will  Atkins.  "  But  Will,"  said  I, 
"how  comes  the  sense  of  this  matter  to  touch  you  just  now?  " 

IV.  A. — Sir,  you  have  set  me  about  a  work  that  has  struck  a  dart  through  my 
very  soul :  I  have  been  talking  about  God  and  religion  to  my  wife,  in  order,  as  you 
directed  me,  to  make  a  Christian  of  her,  and  she  has  preached  such  a  sermon  to  me 
as  I  shall  never  forget  while  I  live. 


Our  Talk  with  Atkins.  315 

R.  C. — No,  no,  it  is  not  your  wife  has  preached  to  you ;  but  when  you  were 
moving  religious  arguments  to  her,  conscience  has  flung  them  back  upon  you. 

W.  A. — Aye,  sir,  with  such  force  as  is  not  to  be  resisted. 

R.  C. — Pray,  Will,  let  us  know  what  passed  between  you  and  your  wife ;  for  I 
know  something  of  it  already. 

W.  A. — Sir,  it  is  impossible  to  give  you  a  full  account  of  it ;  I  am  too  full  to 
hold  it,  and  yet  have  no  tongue  to  express  it ;  but  let  her  have  said  what  she  will, 
though  I  cannot  give  you  an  account  of  it,  this  I  can  tell  you,  that  I  have  resolved 
to  amend  and  reform  my^  life. 

R.  C. — But  tell  us  some  of  it;  how  did  you  begin,  Will?  for  this  has  been  an 
extraordinary  case,  that  is  certain.  She  has  preached  a  sermon,  indeed,  if  she  has 
wrought  this  upon  you. 

W.  A. — Why,  I  first  told  her  the  nature  of  our  laws  about  marriage,  and  what 
the  reasons  were  that  men  and  women  were  obliged  to  enter  into  such  compacts  as 
it  was  neither  in  the  power  of  one  nor  other  to  break ;  that  otherwise,  order  and 
justice  could  not  be  maintained,  and  men  would  run  from  their  wives,  and  abandon 
their  children,  mix  confusedly  with  one  another,  and  neither  families  be  kept  entire 
nor  inheritances  be  settled  by  legal  descent. 

R.  C. — You  talk  like  a  civilian,  Will.  Could  you  make  her  understand  what 
you  meant  by  inheritance  and  families?  They  know  no  such  things  among  the 
savages,  but  marry  anyhow,  without  regard  to  relation,  consanguinity,  or  family  ; 
brother  and  sister,  nay,  as  I  have  been  told,  even  the  father  and  the  daughter,  and 
the  son  and  the  mother. 

W.  A.. — I  believe,  sir,  you  are  misinformed,  and  my  wife  assures  me  of  the 
contrary,  and  that  they  abhor  it ;  perhaps,  for  any  further  relations,  they  may 
not  be  so  exact  as  we  are ;  but  she  tells  me  never  in  the  near  relationship  you 
speak  of. 

R.  C. — Well,  what  did  she  say  to  what  you  told  her? 

TV.  A. — She  said  she  liked  it  very  well,  as  it  was  much  better  than  in  her 
country. 

R.  C. — But  did  you  tell  her  what  marriage  was? 

TV.  A. — Aye,  aye,  there  began  all  our  dialogue.  I  asked  her  if  she  would  be 
married  to  me  our  way.  She  asked  me  what  way  that  was.  I  told  her  marriage 
was  appointed  by  God ;  and  here  we  had  a  strange  talk  together,  indeed,  as  ever 
man  and  wife  had,  I  believe. 

N.B. — This  dialogue  between  Will  Atkins  and  his  wife  I  took  down  in  writing, 
just  after  he  had  told  it  me,  which  was  as  follows. 

Wife. — Appointed  by  your  God!      Why,  have  you  a  God  in  your  country? 

W.  A. — Yes,  my  dear,  God  is  in  every  country. 

Wife. — No  your  God  in  my  country ;  my  country  have  the  great  old  Bena- 
muckee  God. 

W.  A. — Child,  I  am  very  unfit  to  show  you  who  God  is ;  God  is  in  heaven,  and 
made  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is. 

Wife. — No  makee  de  earth  ;   no  you  God  makee  de  earth  ;   no  makee  my  country. 


i6 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


Will  Atkins  laughed  a  little  at  her  expression  of  God  not  making  her  country. 

Wife. — No  laugh  ;   why  laugh  me?     This  nothing  to  laugh. 

He  was  justly  reproved  by  his  wife,  for  she  was  more  serious  than  he  at  first. 

W.  A. — That's  true,  indeed ;    I  will  not  laugh  any  more,  my  dear. 

Wife. — Why,  you  say  you  God  makee  all? 

W.  A. — Yes,  child,  our  God  made  the  whole  world,  and  you,  and  me,  and  all 


"we  called  him  in  alone"  {p.  313;. 


things ;  for  He  is  the  only  true  God,  and  there  is  no  God  but  Him  ;  He  lives  for 
ever  in  heaven. 

Wife. — Why  you  no  tell  me  long  ago? 

W.  A. — That's  true,  indeed  ;  but  I  have  been  a  wicked  wretch,  and  have  not 
only  forgotten  to  acquaint  thee  with  anything  before,  but  have  lived  without  God 
in  the  world  myself. 

Wife. — What,  have  you  a  great  God  in  your  country,  you  no  know  Him?  No 
say  Oh!  to  Him?      No  do  good  thing  for  Him?     That  no  possible. 

W.  A. — It  is  true,  though,  for  all  that ;  we  live  as  if  there  was  no  God  in  heaven, 
or  that  He  had  no  power  on  earth. 

Wife. — But  why  God  let  you  do  so?     Why  He  no  makee  you  good  live? 


Will  Atkins  and  His  Wife.  317 

W.  A. — It  is  all  our  own  fault. 

Wife. — But  you  say  me  He  is  great,  much  great,  have  much  great  power,  can 
makee  kill  when  He  will,  why  He  no  makee  kill  when  you  no  serve  Him?  No  say 
Oh!  to  Him,  no  be  good  mans. 

W.  A. — That  is  true,  He  might  strike  me  dead ;  and  I  ought  to  expect  it,  for 
I  have  been  a  wicked  wretch,  that  is  true ;  but  God  is  merciful,  and  does  not  deal 
with  us  as  we  deserve. 

Wife. — But  then  you  do  not  tell  God  thankee  for  that  too? 

W.  A. — No,  indeed,  I  have  not  thanked  God  for  His  mercy,  any  more  than  I 
have  feared  God  for  His  power. 

Wife. — Then  you  God  no  God  ;  me  no  think  believe  He  be  such  one,  great  much 
power  strong :   no  makee  kill  you,  though  you  make  Him  much  angry. 

W.  A. — What!  will  my  wicked  life  hinder  you  from  believing  in  God?  What  a 
dreadful  creature  am  I !  and  what  a  sad  truth  is  it,  that  the  horrid  lives  of  Christians 
hinder  the  conversion  of  heathens ! 

Wife. — How  me  think  you  have  great  much  God  up  there  [she  points  up  to 
heaven],  and  yet  no  do  well,  no  do  good  thing?  Can  He  tell?  Sure  He  no  tell 
what  you  do? 

W.  A. — Yes,  yes,  He  knows  and  sees  all  things ;  He  hears  Us  speak,  sees  what 
we  do,  knows  what  we  think,  though  we  do  not  speak. 

Wife. — What!    He  no  hear  you  curse,  swear,  speak  de  great  damn? 

W.  A. — Yes,  yes,  He  hears  it  all. 

Wife. — Where  be  then  the  much  great  power  strong? 

W.  A.1 — He  is  merciful,  that  is  all  we  can  say  for  it ;  and  this  proves  Him  to 
be  the  true  God ;   He  is  God,  and  not  man,  and  therefore  we  are  not  consumed. 

Here  Will  Atkins  told  us  he  was  struck  with  horror,  to  think  how  he  could 
tell  his  wife  so  clearly  that  God  sees,  and  hears,  and  knows  the  secret  thoughts  of 
the  heart,  and  all  that  we  do,  and  yet  that  he  had  dared  to  do  all  the  vile  things  he 
had  done. 

Wife. — Merciful!      What  you  call  that? 

W.  A. — He  is  our  Father  and  Maker,  and  He  pities  and  spares  us. 

Wife. — So  then  He  never  makee  kill,  never  angry  when  you  do  wicked;  then 
He  no  good  Himself,  or  no  great  able. 

W.  A. — Yes,  yes,  my  dear,  He  is  infinitely  good  and  infinitely  great,  and  able  to 
punish  too ;  and  sometimes,  to  show  His  justice  and  vengeance,  He  lets  fly  His 
anger  to  destroy  sinners  and  make  examples ;   many  are  cut  off  in  their  sins. 

Wife. — But  no  makee  kill  you  yet;  then  He  tell  you,  maybe,  that  He  no  makee 
you  kill :  so  you  makee  de  bargain  with  Him,  you  do  bad  thing,  He  no  be  angry  at 
you  when  He  be  angry  at  other  mans. 

W.  A. — No,  indeed,  my  sins  are  all  presumptions  upon  His  goodness ;  and  He 
would  be  infinitely  just  if  He  destroyed  me,  as  He  has  done  other  men. 

Wife. — Well,  and  yet  no  kill,  no  makee  you  dead ;  what  you  say  to  Him  for 
that?     You  no  tell  Him  thankee  for  all  that  too? 

W.  A. — I  am  an  unthankful,  ungrateful  dog,  that  is  true. 


318  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Wife. — Why  He  no  makee  you  much  good  better?  you  say  He  makee  you. 

W.  A. — He  made  me  as  He  made  all  the  world ;  it  is  I  have  deformed  myself, 
and  abused  His  goodness  and  made  myself  an  abominable  wretch. 

Wife. — I  wish  you  makee  God  know  me.  I  no  makee  Him  angry — I  no  do 
bad,  wicked  thing. 

Here  Will  Atkins  said  his  heart  sunk  within  him,  to  hear  a  poor  untaught 
creature  desire  to  be  taught  to  know  God,  and  he  such  a  wicked  wretch  that  he 
could  not  say  one  word  to  her  about  God,  but  what  the  reproach  of  his  own 
carriage  would  make  most  irrational  to  her  to  believe ;  nay,  that  already  she  had 
told  him  that  she  could  not  believe  in  God,  because  he,  that  was  so  wicked,  was 
not  destroyed. 

W.  A. — My  dear,  you  mean,  you  wish  I  could  teach  you  to  know  God,  not  God 
to  know  you ;  for  He  knows  you  already,  and  every  thought  in  your  heart. 

Wife. — Why,  then,  He  know  what  I  say  to  you  now:  He  know  me  wish  to 
know  Him.     How  shall  me  know  who  makee  me? 

W.  A. — Poor  creature!  He  must  teach  thee:  I  cannot  teach  thee.  I  will  pray 
to  Him  to  teach  thee  to  know  Him,  and  forgive  me,  that  am  unworthy  to 
teach  thee. 

The  poor  fellow  was  in  such  an  agony  at  her  desiring  him  to  make  her  know 
God,  and  her  wishing  to  know  Him,  that  he  said  he  fell  down  on  his  knees  before 
her,  and  prayed  to  God  to  enlighten  her  mind  with  the  saving  knowledge  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  pardon  his  sins,  and  accept  of  his  being  the  unworthy  instrument 
of  instructing  her  in  the  principles  of  religion :  after  which  he  sat  down  by  her 
again,  and  their  dialogue  went  on.  This  was  the  time  when  we  saw  him  kneel  down, 
and  hold  up  his  hands. 

Wife. — What  you  put  down  the  knee  for?  What  you  hold  up  the  hand  for? 
What  you  say?     Who  you  speak  to?     What  is  all  that? 

W.  A. — My  dear,  I  bow  my  knees  in  token  of  my  submission  to  Him  that  made 
me.  I  said  Oh!  to  Him,  as  you  call  it,  and  as  your  old  men  do  to  their  idol  Bena- 
muckee ;   that  is,  I  prayed  to  Him. 

Wife. — What  say  you  Oh!  to  Him  for? 

W.  A. — I  prayed  to  Him  to  open  your  eyes  and  your  understanding,  that  you 
may  know  Him,  and  be  accepted  by  Him. 

Wife. — Can  He  do  that  too? 

W.  A. — Yes,  He  can :    He  can  do  all  things. 

Wife. — But  now  He  hear  what  you  say? 

W.  A. — Yes,  He  has  bid  us  pray  to  Him,  and  promised  to  hear  us. 

Wife. — Bid  you  pray?  When  He  bid  you?  How  He  bid  you?  What  you 
hear  Him  speak? 

W.  A. — No,  we  do  not  hear  Him  speak ;  but  He  has  revealed  Himself  many 
ways  to  us. 

Here  he  was  at  a  great  loss  to  make  her  understand  that  God  has  revealed 
Himself  to  us  by  His  Word,  and  what  His  Word  was ;  but  at  last  he  told  it  her 
thus: — 


Will  Atkins  and  His  Wife.  319 

W.  A. — God  has  spoken  to  some  good  men  in  former  days,  even  from  heaven, 
by  plain  words ;  and  God  has  inspired  good  men  by  His  Spirit ;  and  they  have 
written  all  His  laws  down  in  a  book. 

Wife. — Me  no  understand  that ;   where  is  book? 

W.  A. — Alas!  my  poor  creature,  I  have  not  this  book;  but  I  hope  I  shall  one 
time  or  other  get  it  for  you,  and  help  you  to  read  it. 

Here  he  embraced  her  with  great  affection,  but  with  inexpressible  grief  that  he 
had  not  a  Bible. 

Wife. — But  how  you  makee  me  know  that  God  teachee  them  to  write  that 
book? 

W.  A. — By  the  same  rule  that  we  know  Him  to  be  God. 

Wife. — What  rule?     What  way  you  know  Him? 

W.  A. — Because  He  teaches  and  commands  nothing  but  what  is  good,  righteous, 
and  holy,  and  tends  to  make  us  perfectly  good,  as  well  as  perfectly  happy ;  and  be- 
cause He  forbids,  and  commands  us  to  avoid,  all  that  is  wicked,  that  is  evil  in  itself, 
or  evil  in  its  consequence. 

Wife. — That  me  would  understand,  that  me  fain  see ;  if  He  teachee  all  good 
thing,  He  makee  all  good  thing,  He  give  all  thing,  He  hear  me  when  I  say  Oh! 
to  Him,  as  you  do  just  now ;  He  makee  me  good,  if  I  wish  to  be  good ;  He 
spare  me,  no  makee  kill  me,  when  I  no  be  good :  all  this  you  say  He  do,  yet 
He  be  great  God:  me  take,  think,  believe  Him  to  be  great  God:  me  say  Oh! 
to  him  with  you,  my  dear. 

Here  the  poor  man  could  forbear  no  longer,  but  raised  her  up,  made  her 
kneel  by  him,  and  he  prayed  to  God  aloud  to  instruct  her  in  the  knowledge  of 
Himself,  by  His  Spirit ;  and  that  by  some  good  providence,  if  possible,  she 
might,  some  time  or  other,  come  to  have  a  Bible,  that  she  might  read  the  AVord 
of  God,  and  be  taught  by  it  to  know  Him.  This  was  the  time  that  we  saw 
him  lift  her  up  by  the  hand,  and  saw  him  kneel  down  by  her,  as  above. 

They  had  several  other  discourses,  it  seems,  after  this,  too  long  to  be  set 
down  here ;  and  particularly,  she  made  him  promise  that,  since  he  confessed  his 
own  life  had  been  a  wicked,  abominable  course  of  provocations  against  God,  that 
he  would  reform  it,  and  not  make  God  angry  any  more,  lest  He  should  make 
him  dead,  as  she  called  it,  and  then  she  would  be  left  alone,  and  never  be 
taught  to  know  this  God  better ;  and  lest  he  should  be  miserable,  as  he  had 
told  her  wicked  men  would  be,  after  death. 

This  was  a  strange  account,  and  very  affecting  to  us  both,  but  particularly  to 
the  young  clergyman ;  he  was,  indeed,  wonderfully  surprised  with  it,  but  under  the 
greatest  affliction  imaginable  that  he  could  not  talk  to  her,  that  he  could  not  speak 
English,  to  make  her  understand  him;  and  as  she  spoke  but  very  broken  English, 
he  could  not  understand  her ;  however,  he  turned  himself  to  me,  and  told  me  that 
he  believed  that  there  must  be  more  to  do  with  this  woman  than  to  marry  her.  I 
did  not  understand  him  at  first ;  but  at  length  he  explained  himself,  viz.,  that  she 
ought  to  be  baptized.  I  agreed  with  him  in  that  part  readily,  and  wished  it  to  be 
done  presently.     "  No,  no ;    hold,   sir,"   said   he ;    "  though    I   would  have  her  be 


320  Robinson  Crusoe. 

baptized,  by  all  means,  for  I  must  observe  that  Will  Atkins,  her  husband,  has 
indeed  brought  her,  in  a  wonderful  manner,  to  be  willing  to  embrace  a  religious 
life,  and  has  given  her  just  ideas  of  the  being  of  a  God,  of  His  power,  justice, 
and  mercy ;  yet  I  desire  to  know  of  him  if  he  has  said  anything  to  her  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  of  the  salvation  of  sinners ;  of  the  nature  of  faith  in  Him,  and  re- 
demption by  Him ;  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  resurrection,  the  last  judgment,  and 
the  future  state." 

I  called  Will  Atkins  again,  and  asked  him ;  but  the  poor  fellow  fell  immediately 
into  tears,  and  told  us  he  had  said  something  to  her  of  all  those  things,  but  that 
he  was  himself  so  wicked  a  creature,  and  his  own  conscience  so  reproached  him 
with  his  horrid,  ungodly  life,  that  he  trembled  at  the  apprehensions  that  her  knowl- 
edge of  him  should  lessen  the  attention  she  should  give  to  those  things,  and  make 
her  rather  contemn  religion  than  receive  it ;  but  he  was  assured,  he  said,  that  her 
mind  was  so  disposed  to  receive  due  impressions  of  all  those  things,  and  that  if  I 
would  but  discourse  with  her,  she  would  make  it  appear  to  my  satisfaction  that 
my  labor  would  not  be  lost  upon  her. 

Accordingly,  I  called  her  in,  and  placing  myself  as  interpreter  between  my 
religious  priest  and  the  woman,  I  entreated  him  to  begin  with  her ;  but  sure  such 
a  sermon  was  never  preached  by  a  Popish  priest  in  these  latter  ages  of  the  world ; 
and,  as  I  told  him,  I  thought  he  had  all  the  zeal,  all  the  knowledge,  all  the  sin- 
cerity of  a  Christian,  without  the  error  of  a  Roman  Catholic;  and  that  I  took  him 
to  be  such  a  clergyman  as  the  Roman  bishops  were  before  the  Church  of  Rome 
assumed  spiritual  sovereignty  over  the  consciences  of  men.  In  a  word,  he  brought 
the  poor  woman  to  embrace  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  and  of  redemption  by  Him, 
not  with  wonder  and  astonishment  only,  as  she  did  the  first  notions  of  a  God,  but 
with  joy  and  faith  ;  with  an  affection,  and  a  surprising  degree  of  understanding, 
scarce  to  be  imagined,  much  less  to  be  expressed ;  and,  at  her  own  request,  she 
was  baptized. 

When  he  was  preparing  to  baptize  her  I  entreated  him  that  he  would  perform 
that  office  with  some  caution,  that  the  man  might  not  perceive  he  was  of  the 
Roman  Church,  if  possible,  because  of  other  ill  consequences  which  might  attend  a 
difference  among  us  in  that  very  religion  which  we  were  instructing  the  other  in. 
He  told  me  that  as  he  had  no  consecrated  chapel,  nor  proper  things  for  the  office, 
I  should  see  he  would  do  it  in  a  manner  that  I  should  not  know  by  it  that  he 
was  a  Roman  Catholic  myself,  if  I  had  not  known  it  before  ;  and  so  he  did  ;  for 
saying  only  some  words  over  to  himself  in  Latin,  which  I  could  not  understand, 
he  poured  a  whole  dishful  of  water  upon  the  woman's  head,  pronouncing  in  French, 
very  loud,  "Mary"  (which  was  the  name  her  husband  desired  me  to  give  her,  for 
I  was  her  godfather),  "I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  "  so  that  none  could  know  anything  by  it  what  religion 
he  was  of.  He  gave  the  benediction  afterwards  in  Latin,  but  either  Will  Atkins 
did  not  know  but  it  was  French,  or  else  did  not  take  notice  of  it  at  that  time. 

As  soon  as  this  was  over,  we  married  them  ;  and  after  the  marriage  was  over, 
he   turned   to  Will  Atkins,  and  in  a  very  affectionate  manner  exhorted  him,  not 


Another  Wedding. 


121 


only  to  persevere  in  that  good  disposition  he  was  in,  but  to  support  the  convictions 
that  were  upon  him  by  a  resolution  to  reform  his  life ;  told  him  it  was  in  vain  to 
say  he  repented  if  he  did  not  forsake  his  crimes :  represented  to  him  how  God 
had  honored  him  with  being  the  instrument  of  bringing  his  wife  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Christian  religion,  and  that  he  should  be  careful  he  should  not  dishonor 
the  grace  of  God ;  and  that  if  he  did,  he  would  see  the  heathen  a  better  Christian 
than  himself ;  the  savage  converted, 
and  the  instrument  cast  away.  He 
said  a  great  many  good  things  to 
them  both ;  and  then,  recom- 
mending them  to  God's  goodness, 
gave  them  the  benediction  again, 
I  repeating  everything  to  them  in 
English ;  and  thus  ended  the 
ceremony.  I  think  it  was  the 
most  pleasant  and  agree- 
able day  to  me  that  ever  a 
I  passed  in  my  whole 
life. 

But  my  clergyman  had 
not  done  yet :  his  thoughts 
hung  continually  upon  the 
conversion  of  the  thirty- 
seven  savages,  and  fain 
he  would  have  stayed 
upon  the  island  to  have 
undertaken  it ;  but  I  con- 
vinced him,  first,  that  his 
undertaking  was  imprac- 
ticable    in      itself;      and, 

secondly,  that  perhaps  I  would  put  it  into  a  way  of  being  done  in  his  absence  to  his 
satisfaction. 

Having  thus  brought  the  affairs  of  the  island  to  a  narrow  compass,  I  was  prepar- 
ing to  go  on  board  the  ship,  when  the  young  man  I  had  taken  out  of  the  famished 
ship's  company  came  to  me,  and  told  me  he  understood  I  had  a  clergyman  with  me, 
and  that  I  had  caused  the  Englishmen  to  be  married  to  the  savages ;  that  he  had  a 
match  too,  which  he  desired  might  be  finished  before  I  went,  between  two  Christians, 
which  he  hoped  would  not  be  disagreeable  to  me. 

I  knew  this  must  be  the  young  woman  who  was  his  mother's  servant,  for  there 
was  no  other  Christian  woman  on  the  island :  so  I  began  to  persuade  him  not  to 
do  anything  of  that  kind  rashly,  or  because  he  found  himself  in  this  solitary  cir- 
cumstance. I  represented  to  him  that  he  had  some  considerable  substance  in  the 
world,  and  good  friends,  as  I  understood  by  himself,  and  the  maid  also ;  that  the 
maid  was  not  only  poor,  and  a  servant,  but  was  unequal  to  him,  she  being  six  or 


MADE  HER  KNEEL  BY  HIM 

(A   319)- 


322  Robinson  Crusoe. 

seven  and  twenty  years  old,  and  he  not  above  seventeen  or  eighteen ;  that  he 
might  very  probably,  with  my  assistance,  make  a  remove  from  this  wilderness,  and 
come  into  his  own  country  again ;  and  that  then  it  would  be  a  thousand  to  one 
but  he  would  repent  his  choice,  and  the  dislike  of  that  circumstance  might  be  dis- 
advantageous to  both.  I  was  going  to  say  more,  but  he  interrupted  me,"  smiling, 
and  told  me,  with  a  great  deal  of  modesty,  that  I  mistook  in  my  guesses ;  that  he 
had  nothing  of  that  kind  in  his  thoughts ;  and  he  was  very  glad  to  hear  that  I 
had  an  intent  of  putting  them  in  a  way  to  see  their  own  country  again ;  and 
nothing  should  have  made  him  think  of  staying  there,  but  that  the  voyage  I  was 
going  was  so  exceeding  long  and  hazardous,  and  would  carry  him  quite  out  of  the 
reach  of  all  his  friends ;  that  he  had  nothing  to  desire  of  me,  but  that  I  would 
settle  him  in  some  little  property  in  the  island  where  he  was,  give  him  a  servant 
or  two,  and  some  few  necessaries,  and  he  would  live  here  like  a  planter,  waiting 
the  good  time  when,  if  ever  I  returned  to  England,  I  would  redeem  him ;  and 
hoped  I  would  not  be  unmindful  of  him  when  I  came  to  England :  that  he  would 
give  me  some  letters  to  his  friends  in  London,  to  let  them  know  how  good  I  had 
been  to  him,  and  in  what  part  of  the  world,  and  what  circumstances  I  had  left 
him  in :  and  he  promised  me  that  whenever  I  redeemed  him,  the  plantation,  and 
all  the  improvements  he  had  made  upon  it,  let  the  value  be  what  it  would,  should 
be  wholly  mine. 

His  discourse  was  very  prettily  delivered,  considering  his  youth,  and  was  the 
more  agreeable  to  me,  because  he  told  me  positively  the  match  was  not  for  himself. 
I  gave  him  all  possible  assurances  that  if  I  lived  to  come  safe  to  England,  I  would 
deliver  his  letters,  and  do  his  business  effectually  ;  and  that  he  might  depend  I  should 
never  forget  the  circumstances  I  had  left  him  in ;  but  still  I  was  impatient  to  know 
who  was  the  person  to  be  married ;  upon  which  he  told  me  it  was  my  Jack-of-all- 
trades  and  his  maid  Susan.  I  was  most  agreeably  surprised  when  he  named  the 
match ;  for,  indeed,  I  thought  it  very  suitable.  The  character  of  that  man  I  have 
given  already ;  and  as  for  the  maid,  she  was  a  very  honest,  modest,  sober,  and 
religious  young  woman ;  had  a  very  good  share  of  sense,  was  agreeable  enough  in 
her  person,  spoke  very  handsomely  and  to  the  purpose,  always  with  decency  and 
good  manners,  and  was  neither  too  backward  to  speak  when  requisite,  nor  imperti- 
nently forward  when  it  was  not  her  business ;  very  handy  and  housewifely,  and  an 
excellent  manager ;  fit,  indeed,  to  have  been  governess  to  the  whole  island ;  and  she 
knew  very  well  how  to  behave  in  every  respect. 

The  match  being  proposed  in  this  manner,  we  married  them  the  same  day ;  and 
as  I  was  father  at  the  altar,  and  gave  her  away,  so  I  gave  her  a  portion ;  for  I  ap- 
pointed her  and  her  husband  a  handsome  large  space  of  ground  for  their  plantation ; 
and,  indeed,  this  match,  and  the  proposal  the  young  gentleman  made  to  give  him  a 
small  property  in  the  island,  put  me  upon  parceling  it  out  amongst  them,  that  they 
might  not  quarrel  afterwards  about  their  situation. 

This  sharing  out  the  land  to  them  I  left  to  Will  Atkins,  who  was  now  grown  a 
sober,  grave,  managing  fellow,  perfectly  reformed,  exceedingly  pious  and  religious ; 
and,  as  far  as  I  may  be  allowed  to  speak  positively  in  such  a  case,  I  verily  believe 


Converting  the  Savages.  323 

he  was  a  true  penitent.  He  divided  things  so  justly,  and  so  much  to  every  one's 
satisfaction,  that  they  only  desired  one  general  writing  under  my  hand  for  the  whole, 
which  I  caused  to  be  drawn  up  and  signed  and  sealed,  setting  out  the  bounds  and 
situation  of  every  man's  plantation,  and  testifying  that  I  gave  them  thereby  severally 
a  right  to  the  whole  possession  and  inheritance  of  the  respective  plantations  or 
farms,  with  their  improvements,  to  them  and  their  heirs,  reserving  all  the  rest  of  the 
island  as  my  own  property,  and  a  certain  rent  for  every  particular  plantation  after 
eleven  years,  if  I,  or  any  one  from  me,  or  in  my  name,  came  to  demand  it,  produc- 
ing an  attested  copy  of  the  same  writing. 

As  to  the  government  and  laws  among  them,  I  told  them  I  was  not  capable  of 
giving  them  better  rules  than  they  were  able  to  give  themselves ;  only  I  made  them 
promise  me  to  live  in  love  and  good  neighborhood  with  one  another ;  and  so  I  pre- 
pared to  leave  them. 

One  thing  I  must  not  omit,  and  that  is,  that  being  now  settled  in  a  kind  of 
commonwealth  among  themselves,  and  having  much  business  in  hand,  it  was  odd 
to  have  seven-and-thirty  Indians  live  in  a  nook  of  the  island  independent,  and, 
indeed,  unemployed ;  for,  excepting  the  providing  themselves  with  food,  which 
they  had  difficulty  enough  to  do,  sometimes  they  had  no  manner  of  business  or 
property  to  manage.  I  proposed,  therefore,  to  the  governor  Spaniard,  that  he 
should  go  to  them  with  Friday's  father,  and  propose  to  them  to  remove,  and 
either  plant  for  themselves,  or  be  taken  into  their  several  families  as  servants, 
to  be  maintained  for  their  labor,  but  without  being  absolute  slaves ;  for  I  would 
not  permit  them  to  make  them  slaves  by  force,  by  any  means ;  because  they  had 
their  liberty  given  them  by  capitulation,  as  it  were  articles  of  surrender,  which  they 
ought  not  to  break. 

They  most  willingly  embraced  the  proposal,  and  came  all  very  cheerfully  along 
with  him :  so  we  allotted  them  land  and  plantations,  which  three  or  four  accepted 
of,  but  all  the  rest  chose  to  be  employed  as  servants  in  the  several  families  we 
had  settled;  and  thus  my  colony  was  in  a  manner  settled  as  follows: — The 
Spaniards  possessed  my  original  habitation,  which  was  the  capital  city,  and 
extended  their  plantations  all  along  the  side  of  the  brook,  which  made  the  creek 
that  I  have  so  often  described,  as  far  as  my  bower ;  and  as  they  increased  their 
culture,  it  went  always  eastward.  The  English  lived  in  the  north-east  part,  where 
Will  Atkins  and  his  comrades  began,  and  came  on  southward  and  south-west, 
towards  the  back  part  of  the  Spaniards ;  and  every  plantation  had  a  great 
addition  of  land  to  take  in,  if  they  found  occasion,  so  that  they  need  not  jostle 
one  another  for  want  of  room.  All  the  east  end  of  the  island  was  left  unin- 
habited, that  if  any  of  the  savages  should  come  on  shore  there  only  for  their 
usual  customary  barbarities,  they  might  come  and  go ;  if  they  disturbed  nobody, 
nobody  would  disturb  them ;  and  no  doubt  but  they  were  often  ashore,  and  went 
away  again,  for  I  never  heard  that  the  planters  were  ever  attacked  or  disturbed 
any  more. 

It  now  came  into  my  thoughts  that  I  had  hinted  to  my  friend  the  clergyman 
that  the  work  of  converting  the  savages  might  perhaps  be  set  on  foot  in  his  absence 


324 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


to  his  satisfaction,  and  I  told  him  that  now  I  thought  that  it  was  put  in  a  fair  way ; 
for  the  savages,  being  thus  divided  among  the  Christians,  if  they  would  but  every 
one  of  them  do  their  part  with  those  which  came  under  their  hands,  I  hoped  it  might 
have  a  very  good  effect. 

He  agreed  presently  in  that,  if  they  did  their  part.      "  But  how,"  says  he,  "shall 
we  obtain  that  of  them?  "     I  told  him  we  would  call  them  all  together,  and  leave  it 


"we  married  them  the  same  day"  {p.  322). 


in  charge  with  them,  or  go  to  them,  one  by  one,  which  he  thought  best ;  so  we  di 
vided  it, — he  to  speak  to  the  Spaniards,  who  were  all  Papists,  and  I  to  speak  to  the 
English,  who  were  all  Protestants ;  and  we  recommended  it  earnestly  to  them,  and 
made  them  promise  that  they  would  never  make  any  distinction  of  Papist  or  Prot- 
estant in  their  exhorting  the  savages  to  turn  Christians,  but  teach  them  the  general 
knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  of  their  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  and  they  likewise 
promised  us  that  they  would  never  have  any  differences  or  disputes  one  with  another 
about  religion. 

When  I  came  to  Will  Atkins's  house  (I  may  call  it  so,  for  such  a  house,  or  such 
a  piece  of  basket-work,  I  believe  was  not  standing  in  the  world  again),  there  I  found 
the  young  woman  I  have  mentioned  above  and  Will  Atkins's  wife  were  become 
intimates ;   and  this  prudent,  religious   young  woman  had  perfected  the  work  Will 


A  Present  to   Will  Atkins.  325 

Atkins  had  begun  ;  and  though  it  was  not  above  four  days  after  what  I  have  related, 
yet  the  new-baptized  savage  woman  was  made  such  a  Christian  as  I  have  seldom 
heard  of  in  all  my  observation  or  conversation  in  the  world. 

It  came  next  into  my  mind  in  the  morning  before  I  went  to  them,  that 
amongst  all  the  needful  things  I  had  to  leave  with  them,  I  had  not  left  them  a 
Bible,  in  which  I  showed  myself  less  considering  for  them  than  my  good  friend 
the  widow  was  for  me  when  she  sent  me  the  cargo  of  a  hundred  pounds  from 
Lisbon,  where  she  packed  up  three  Bibles  and  a  prayer-book.  However,  the 
good  woman's  charity  had  a  greater  extent  than  ever  she  imagined,  for  they  were 
reserved  for  the  comfort  and  instruction  of  those  that  made  much  better  use  of 
them  than  I  had  done. 

I  took  one  of  the  Bibles  in  my  pocket,  and  when  I  came  to  Will  Atkins's 
tent,  or  house,  and  found  the  young  woman  and  Atkins's  baptized  wife  had  been 
discoursing  of  religion  together — for  Will  Atkins  told  it  me  with  a  great  deal  of 
joy — I  asked  if  they  were  together  now,  and  he  said,  yes ;  so  I  went  into  the 
house  and  he  with  me,  and  we  found  them  together  very  earnest  in  discourse. 
"  Oh,  sir,"  says  Will  Atkins,  "  when  God  has  sinners  to  reconcile  to  Himself,  and 
aliens  to  bring  home,  He  never  wants  a  messenger;  my  wife  has  got  a  new 
instructor :  I  knew  I  was  unworthy,  as  I  was  incapable  of  that  work  ;  that  young 
woman  has  been  sent  hither  from  heaven;-  she  is  enough  to  convert  a  whole 
island  of  savages."  The  young  woman  blushed,  and  rose  up  to  go  away,  but  I 
desired  her  to  sit  still ;  I  told  her  she  had  a  good  work  upon  her  hands,  and  I 
hoped  God  would  bless  her  in  it. 

We  talked  a  little,  and  I  did  not  perceive  that  they  had  any  book  among  them, 
though  I  did  not  ask ;  but  I  put  my  hand  into  my  pocket,  and  pulled  out  my  Bible. 
"  Here,"  said  I  to  Atkins,  "  I  have  brought  you  an  assistant  that  perhaps  you  had 
not  before."  The  man  was  so  confounded,  that  he  was  not  able  to  speak  for  some 
time  ;  but  recovering  himself,  he  takes  it  with  both  his  hands,  and  turning  to  his  wife, 
"Here,  my  dear,"  says  he,  "did  I  not  tell  you  our  God,  though  He  lives  above, 
could  hear  what  we  have  said?  Here's  the  book  I  prayed  for  when  you  and  I 
kneeled  down  under  the  bush  ;  now  God  has  heard  us,  and  sent  it."  When  he  had 
said  so,  the  man  fell  into  such  transports  of  passionate  joy,  that  between  the  joy  of 
having  it,  and  giving  God  thanks  for  it,  the  tears  ran  down  his  face  like  a  child  that 
was  crying. 

The  woman  was  surprised,  and  was  like  to  have  run  into  a  mistake  that  none  of 
us  were  aware  of,  for  she  firmly  believed  God  had  sent  the  book  upon  her  husband's 
petition.  It  is  true  that  providentially  it  was  so,  and  might  be  taken  so  in  a  conse- 
quent sense ;  but  I  believe  it  would  have  been  no  difficult  matter  at  that  time  to 
have  persuaded  the  poor  woman  to  have  believed  that  an  express  messenger  came 
from  Heaven  on  purpose  to  bring  that  individual  book  ;  but  it  was  too  serious  a 
matter  to  suffer  any  delusion  to  take  place,  so  I  turned  to  the  young  woman,  and 
told  her  we  did  not  desire  to  impose  upon  the  new  convert  in  her  first  and  more 
ignorant  understanding  of  things,  and  begged  her  to  explain  to  her  that  God  may 
be  very  properly  said  to  answer  our  petitions,  when,  in  the  course  of  His  providence, 


326  Robinson  Crusoe. 

such  things  are  in  a  particular  manner  brought  to  pass  as  we  petitioned  for :  but  we 
did  not  expect  returns  from  Heaven  in  a  miraculous  and  particular  manner,  and  it  is 
a  mercy  that  it  is  not  so. 

This  the  young  woman  did  afterwards  effectually,  so  that  there  was,  I  assure 
you,  no  priestcraft  used  here ;  and  I  should  have  thought  it  one  of  the  most 
unjustifiable  frauds  in  the  world  to  have  had  it  so.  But  the  surprise  of  joy  upon  Will 
Atkins  is  really  not  to  be  expressed ;  and  there  Ave  may  be  sure  was  no  delusion. 
Sure  no  man  was  ever  more  thankful  in  the  world  for  anything  of  its  kind  than 
he  was  for  the  Bible ;  nor,  I  believe,  never  any  man  was  glad  of  a  Bible  from  a 
better  principle  ;  and  though  he  had  been  a  most  profligate  creature,  headstrong, 
furious,  and  desperately  wicked,  yet  this  man  is  a  standing  rule  to  us  all  for  the 
well  instructing  children,  viz.,  that  parents  should  never  give  over  to  teach  and 
instruct,  nor  ever  despair  of  the  success  of  their  endeavors,  let  the  children  be 
ever  so  refractory,  or,  to  appearance,  insensible  to  instruction ;  for,  if  ever  God, 
in  His  providence,  touches  the  conscience  of  such,  the  force  of  their  education 
returns  upon  them,  and  the  early  instruction  of  parents  is  not  lost,  though  it  may 
have  been  many  years  laid  asleep,  but  some  time  or  other  they  may  find  the 
benefit  of  it.  Thus  it  was  with  this  poor  man :  however  ignorant  he  was  of 
religion  and  Christian  knowledge,  he  found  he  had  some  to  do  with  now  more 
ignorant  than  himself,  and  that  the  least  part  of  the  instruction  of  his  good  father 
that  now  came  to  his  mind  was  of  use  to  him. 

Among  the  rest,  it  occurred  to  him,  he  said,  how  his  father  used  to  insist  so  much 
on  the  inexpressible  value  of  the  Bible,  and  the  privilege  and  blessing  of  it  to  nations, 
families,  and  persons ;  but  he  never  entertained  the  least  notion  of  the  worth  of  it 
till  now,  when  being  to  talk  to  heathens,  savages,  and  barbarians,  he  wanted  the 
help  of  the  written  oracle  for  his  assistance. 

The  young  woman  was  glad  of  it  also  for  the  present  occasion,  though  she  had 
one  and  so  had  the  youth,  on  board  our  ship,  among  their  goods,  which  were  not  yet 
brought  on  shore.  And  now,  having  said  so  many  things  of  this  young  woman, 
I  cannot  omit  telling  one  story  more  of  her  and  myself,  which  has  something  in  it 
very  instructive  and  remarkable. 

I  have  related  to  what  extremity  the  poor  young  woman  was  reduced, — how 
her  mistress  was  starved  to  death,  and  died  on  board  that  unhappy  ship  we  met 
at  sea,  and  how  the  ship's  company  were  reduced  to  the  last  extremity.  The 
gentlewoman,  and  her  son,  and  this  maid,  were  first  hardly  used  as  to  provisions, 
and  at  last  totally  neglected  and  starved — that  is  to  say,  brought  to  the  last 
extremity  of  hunger.  One  day,  being  discoursing  with  her  on  the  extremities  they 
suffered,  I  asked  her  if  she  could  describe,  by  what  she  had  felt,  what  it  was  to 
starve,  and  how  it  appeared.  She  told  me  she  believed  she  could,  and  she  told  her 
tale  very  distinctly  thus:  — 

"  First,  sir,"  said  she,  "  we  had  for  some  days  fared  exceeding  hard,  and  suffered 
very  great  hunger ;  but  at  last  we  were  wholly  without  food  of  any  kind,  except 
sugar,  and  a  little  wine-and-water.  The  first  day  after  I  had  received  no  food  at 
all,   I   found  myself,   towards  evening,   first   empty  and  sick    at   the   stomach,    and 


The  Young  Woman's  Story.  327 

nearer  night  much  inclined  to  yawning  and  sleep.  I  lay  down  on  the  couch  in  the 
great  cabin  to  sleep,  and  slept  about  three  hours,  and  awaked  a  little  refreshed, 
having  taken  a  glass  of  wine  when  I  lay  down ;  after  being  about  three  hours 
awake,  it  being  about  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  I  found  myself  empty,  and  my 
stomach  sickish,  and  lay  down  again,  but  could  not  sleep  at  all,  being  very  faint 
and  ill ;  and  thus  I  continued  all  the  second  day  with  a  strange  variety — first 
hungry,  then  sick  again,  with  retchings  to  vomit.  The  second  night,  being  obliged 
to  go  to  bed  again  without  any  food,  more  than  a  draught  of  fresh  water,  and 
being  asleep,  I  dreamed  I  was  at  Barbadoes,  and  that  the  market  was  mightily 
stocked  with  provisions, — that  I  bought  some  for  my  mistress,  and  went  and  dined 
very  heartily.  I  thought  my  stomach  was  as  full  after  this  as  it  would  have  been 
after  a  good  dinner ;  but  when  I  awaked,  I  was  exceedingly  sunk  in  my  spirits, 
to  find  myself  in  the  extremity  of  famine.  The  last  glass  of  wine  we  had  I 
drank,  and  put  sugar  in  it,  because  of  its  having  some  spirit  to  supply  nourish- 
ment, but  there  being  no  substance  in  the  stomach  for  the  digesting  office  to 
work  upon,  I  found  the  only  effect  of  the  wine  was  to  raise  disagreeable  fumes 
from  the  stomach  into  the  head ;  and  I  lay,  as  they  told  me,  stupid  and  senseless, 
as  one  drunk,  for  some  time.  The  third  day,  in  the  morning,  after  a  night  of 
strange,  confused,  and  inconsistent  dreams,  and  rather  dozing  than  sleeping,  1 
awaked  ravenous  and  furious  with  hunger :  and  I  question,  had  not  my  under- 
standing returned  and  conquered  it,  whether,  if  I  had  been  a  mother,  and  had 
had  a  little  child  with  one,  its  life  would  have  been  safe  or  not.  This  lasted 
about  three  hours,  during  which  time  I  was  twice  raging  mad  as  any  creature  in 
Bedlam,  as  my  young  master  told  me,  and  as  he  can  now  inform  you. 

"In  one  of  those  fits  of  lunacy  or  distraction  I  fell  down  and  struck  my  face 
against  the  corner  of  a  pallet-bed,  in  which  my  mistress  lay,  and  with  the  blow  the 
blood  gushed  out  of  my  nose ;  and  the  cabin-boy  bringing  me  a  little  basin,  I  sat 
down  and  bled  into  it  a  great  deal ;  and  as  the  blood  came  from  me,  I  came  to  my- 
self, and  the  violence  of  the  flame  or  fever  I  was  in  abated,  and  so  did  the  ravenous 
part  of  the  hunger.  Then  I  grew  sick,  and  retched  to  vomit,  but  could  not,  for  I 
had  nothing  in  my  stomach  to  bring  up.  <* 

"  After  I  had  bled  some  time  I  swooned,  and  they  all  believed  I  was  dead ;  but 
I  came  to  myself  soon  after,  and  then  had  a  most  dreadful  pain  in  my  stomach  not 
to  be  described — not  like  the  colic,  but  a  gnawing,  eager  pain  for  food ;  and  towards 
night  it  went  off  with  a  kind  of  earnest  wishing  or  longing  for  food,  something  like, 
as  I  suppose,  the  longing  of  a  woman  with  child.  I  took  another  draught  of  water 
with  sugar  in  it ;  but  my  stomach  loathed  the  sugar,  and  brought  it  all  up  again ; 
then  I  took  a  draught  of  water  without  sugar,  and  that  stayed  with  me ;  and  I  laid 
me  down  upon  the  bed,  praying  most  heartily  that  it  would  please  God  to  take  me 
away ;  and  composing  my  mind  in  hopes  of  it  I  slumbered  awhile,  and  then  waking, 
thought  myself  dying,  being  light  with  vapors  from  an  empty  stomach.  I  recom- 
mended my  soul  then  to  God,  and  earnestly  wished  that  somebody  would  throw  me 
into  the  sea. 

"  All  this  while  my  mistress  lay  by  me,  just,  as  I  thought,  expiring,  but  bore  it  with 


328  Robinson  Crusoe. 

much  more  patience  than  I, — gave  the  last  bit  of  bread  she  had  left  to  her  child,  my 
young  master,  who  would  not  have  taken  it,  but  she  obliged  him  to  eat  it ;  and  I 
believe  it  saved  his  life. 

"Towards  the  morning  I  slept  again;  and  when  I  awoke  I  fell  into  a  violent 
passion  of  crying,  and  after  that  had  a  second  fit  of  violent  hunger.  I  got  up 
ravenous,  and  in  a  most  dreadful  condition ;  had  my  mistress  been  dead,  as  much 
as  I  loved  her,  I  am  certain  I  should  have  eaten  a  piece  of  her  flesh  with  as 
much  relish  and  as  unconcerned  as  ever  I  did  eat  the  flesh  of  any  creature 
appointed  for  food ;  and  once  or  twice  I  was  going  to  bite  my  own  arm.  At 
last  I  saw  the  basin  in  which  was  the  blood  I  had  bled  at  my  nose  the  day 
before :  I  ran  to  it,  and  swallowed  it  with  such  haste,  and  such  a  greedy  appetite, 
as  if  I  wondered  that  nobody  had  taken  it  before,  and  afraid  it  should  be  taken 
from  me  now.  After  it  was  down,  though  the  thoughts  of  it  filled  me  with  horror, 
yet  it  checked  the  fit  of  hunger,  and  I  took  another  draught  of  water,  and  was 
composed  and  refreshed  for  some  hours  after.  This  was  the  fourth  day ;  and  thus 
I  kept  up  till  towards  night,  when,  within  the  compass  of  three  hours,  I  had  all 
the  several  circumstances  over  again,  one  after  another,  viz.,  sick,  sleepy,  eagerly 
hungry,  pain  in  the  stomach,  then  ravenous  again,  then  sick,  then  lunatic,  then 
crying,  then  ravenous  again,  and  so  every  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  my  strength 
wasted  exceedingly ;  at  night  I  lay  me  down,  having  no  comfort  but  in  the  hope 
that  I  should  die  before  morning. 

"  All  this  night  I  had  no  sleep ;  but  the  hunger  was  now  turned  into  a 
disease ;  and  I  had  a  terrible  colic  and  griping,  by  wind,  instead  of  food,  having 
fond  its  way  into  the  bowels ;  and  in  this  condition  I  lay  till  morning,  when  I 
was  surprised  by  the  cries  and  lamentations  of  my  young  master,  who  called  out 
to  me  that  his  mother  was  dead.  I  lifted  myself  up  a  little,  for  I  had  not  strength 
to  rise,  but  found  she  was  not  dead,  though  she  was  able  to  give  very  little  signs 
of  life. 

"  I  had  then  such  convulsions  in  my  stomach,  for  want  of  some  sustenance, 
as  I  cannot  describe  ;  with  such  frequent  throes  and  pangs  of  appetite,  as  nothing 
but  the  tortures  of  death  can  imitate ;  and  in  this  condition  I  was  when  I  heard 
the  seamen  above  cry  out,  'A  sail!  a  sail!'  and  halloo  and  jump  about  as  if  they 
were  distracted. 

"  I  was  not  able  to  get  off  from  the  bed,  and  my  mistress  much  less ;  and  my 
young  master  was  so  sick  that  I  thought  he  had  been  expiring ;  so  we  could  not  open 
the  cabin  door,  or  get  any  account  what  it  was  that  occasioned  such  confusion ;  nor 
had  we  had  any  conversation  with  the  ship's  company  for  two  days,  they  having  told 
us  that  they  had  not  a  mouthful  of  anything  to  eat  in  the  ship  ;  and  this  they  told 
us  afterwards, — they  thought  we  had  been  dead.  It  was  this  dreadful  condition  we 
were  in  when  you  were  sent  to  save  our  lives ;  and  how  you  found  us,  sir,  you  know 
as  well  as  I,  and  better  too." 

This  was  her  own  relation,  and  is  such  a  distinct  account  of  starving  to  death 
as,  I  confess,  I  never  met  with,  and  was  exceedingly  entertaining  to  me.  I  am 
the  rather  apt  to  believe  it  to  be  a  true  account,  because  the  youth  gave  me  an 


'GAVE  THEM   SUCH   A   BROADSIDE.' 


(See  p.  332.1 


The  Young  Man's  Version. 


329 


account  of  a  good  part  of  it ;  though  I  must  own,  not  so  distinct  and  so  feeling 
as  the  maid ;  and  the  rather,  because  it  seems  his  mother  fed  him  at  the  price  of 
her  own  life :  but  the  poor  maid,  though  her  constitution  being  stronger  than  that 
of  her  mistress,  who  was  in  years,  and  a  weakly  woman  too,  she  might  struggle 
harder  with  it ;  I  say,  the  poor  maid  might  be  supposed  to  feel  the  extremity  some- 
thing sooner  than  her  mistress,  who  might  be  allowed  to  keep  the  last  bit  something 


I    HAVE    BROUGHT   YOU    AN    ASSISTANT"    (/.   325). 


longer  than  she  parted  with  any  to  relieve  the  maid.  No  question,  as  the  case  is 
here  related,  if  our  ship,  or  some  other,  had  not  so  providentially  met  them,  a  few 
days  more  would  have  ended  all  their  lives,  unless  they  had  prevented  it  by  eating 
one  another ;  and  that  even,  as  their  case  stood,  would  have  served  them  but  a  little 
while,  they  being  five  hundred  leagues  from  any  land,  or  any  possibility  of  relief, 
other  than  in  the  miraculous  manner  it  happened :  but  this  is  by  the  way.  I  return 
to  my  disposition  of  things  among  the  people. 

And,  first,  it  is  to  be  observed  here,  that  for  many  reasons  I  did  not  think  fit  to 
let  them  know  anything  of  the  sloop  I  had  framed,  and  which  I  thought  of 
setting  up  among  them ;  for  I  found,  at  least  at  my  first  coming,  such  seeds  of 
division  among  them,    that    I    saw  plainly,    had    I    set  up    the    sloop,  and  left  it 


33o  Robinson  Crusoe. 

among  them,  they  would,  upon  every  light  disgust,  have  separated,  and  gone  away 
from  one  another ;  or  perhaps  have  turned  pirates,  and  so  made  the  island  a  den  of 
thieves,  instead  of  a  plantation  of  sober  and  religious  people,  as  I  intended  it ; 
nor  did  I  leave  the  two  pieces  of  brass  cannon  that  I  had  on  board,  or  the  two 
quarter-deck  guns  that  my  nephew  took  extraordinary,  for  the  same  reason :  I 
thought  it  was  enough  to  qualify  them  for  a  defensive  war  against  any  that  should 
invade  them,  but  not  to  set  them  up  for  an  offensive  war,  or  to  go  abroad  to 
attack  others ;  which,  in  the  end,  would  only  bring  ruin  and  destruction  upon  them : 
I  reserved  the  sloop,  therefore,  and  the  guns,  for  their  service  another  way,  as  I  shall 
observe  in  its  place. 

Having  now  done  with  the  island,  I  left  them  all  in  good  circumstances,  and 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  went  on  board  my  ship  again  on  the  6th  of  May, 
having  been  about  twenty-five  days  among  them ;  and  as  they  were  all  resolved 
to  stay  upon  the  island  till  I  came  to  remove  them,  I  promised  to  send  them 
further  relief  from  the  Brazils,  if  I  could  possibly  find  an  opportunity ;  and 
particularly  I  promised  to  send  them  some  cattle,  such  as  sheep,  hogs,  and  cows. 
As  to  the  two  cows  and  calves  which  I  brought  from  England,  we  had  been 
obliged,  by  the  length  of  our  voyage,  to  kill  them  at  sea,  for  want  of  hay  to  feed 
them. 

The  next  day,  giving  them  a  salute  of  five  guns  at  parting,  we  set  sail,  and  ar- 
rived at  the  bay  of  All  Saints  in  the  Brazils  in  about  twenty-two  days,  meeting  noth- 
ing remarkable  in  our  passage  but  this :  that  about  three  days  after  we  had  sailed, 
being  becalmed,  and  the  current  setting  strong  to  the  E.N.E.,  running,  as  it  were, 
into  a  bay,  or  gulf  on  the  land  side,  we  were  driven  something  out  of  our  course,  and 
once  or  twice  our  men  cried  out,  "  Land  to  the  eastward!"  but  whether  it  was  the 
continent  or  islands  we  could  not  tell  by  any  means.  But  the  third  day,  towards 
evening,  the  sea  smooth,  and  the  weather  calm,  we  saw  the  sea,  as  it  were, 
covered  towards  the  land  with  something  very  black ;  not  being  able  to  discover 
what  it  was,  till  after  some  time,  our  chief  mate,  going  up  the  mainshrouds  a  little 
way,  and  looking  at  them  with  a  perspective,  cried  out  it  was  an  army.  I  could 
not  imagine  what  he  meant  by  an  army,  and  thwarted  him  a  little  hastily.  "  Nay, 
sir,"  says  he,  "  don't  be  angry,  for  'tis  an  army,  and  a  fleet  too  ;  for  I  believe  there 
are  a  thousand  canoes,  and  you  may  see  them  paddle  along,  for  they  are  coining 
towards  us  apace." 

I  was  a  little  surprised  then,  indeed,  and  so  was  my  nephew,  the  captain  ;  for  he 
had  heard  such  terrible  stories  of  them  in  the  island,  and  having  never  been  in  those 
seas  before,  that  he  could  not  tell  what  to  think  of  it,  but  said,  two  or  three  times,  we 
should  all  be  devoured.  I  must  confess,  considering  we  were  becalmed,  and  the 
current  set  strong  towards  the  shore,  I  liked  it  the  worse ;  however,  I  bade  them  not 
be  afraid,  but  bring  the  ship  to  an  anchor  as  soon  as  we  came  so  near  as  to  know 
that  we  must  engage  them. 

The  weather  continued  calm,  and  they  came  on  apace  towards  us ;  so  I  gave 
orders  to  come  to  an  anchor  and  furl  all  our  sails.  As  for  the  savages,  I  told  them 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  but  fire,  and  therefore  they  should  get  their  boats  out,  and 


Death  of  Friday.  331 

fasten  them,  one  close  by  the  head,  and  the  other  by  the  stern,  and  man  them  both 
well,  and  wait  the  issue  in  that  posture ;  this  I  did,  that  the  men  in  the  boats  might 
be  ready  with  sheets  and  buckets  to  put  out  any  fire  these  savages  might  endeavor 
to  fix  to  the  outside  of  the  ship. 

In  this  posture  we  lay  by  for  them,  and  in  a  little  while  they  came  up  with  us ; 
but  never  was  such  a  horrid  sight  seen  by  Christians :  though  my  mate  was  much 
mistaken  in  his  calculation  of  their  number,  yet  when  they  came  up  we  reckoned 
about  a  hundred  and  twenty-six ;  some  of  them  had  sixteen  or  seventeen  men  in 
them,  and  some  more,  and  the  least  six  or  seven. 

When  they  came  nearer  to  us,  they  seemed  to  be  struck  with  wonder  and 
astonishment,  as  at  a  sight  which  doubtless  they  had  never  seen  before ;  nor  could 
they  at  first,  as  we  afterwards  understood,  know  what  to  make  of  us ;  they  came 
boldly  up,  however,  very  near  to  us,  and  seemed  to  go  about  to  row  round  us ; 
but  we  called  to  our  men  in  the  boats  not  to  let  them  come  too  near  them. 
This  very  order  brought  us  to  an  engagement  with  them,  without  our  designing  it ; 
for  five  or  six  of  the  large  canoes  came  so  near  our  long-boat,  that  our  men 
beckoned  with  their  hands  to  keep  them  back,  which  they  understood  very  well, 
and  went  back ;  but  at  their  retreat  about  fifty  arrows  came  on  board  us  from 
those  boats,  and  one  of  our  men  in  the  long-boat  was  very  much  wounded. 
However,  I  called  to  them  not  to  fire  by  any  means ;  but  we  handed  down  some 
deal  boards  into  the  boat,  and  the  carpenter  presently  set  up  a  kind  of  fence, 
like  waste  boards,  to  cover  them  from  the  arrows  of  the  savages,  if  they  should 
shoot  again. 

About-  half  an  hour  afterwards  they  all  came  up  in  a  body  astern  of  us,  and 
so  near  that  we  could  easily  discern  what  they  were,  though  we  could  not  tell 
their  design ;  and  I  easily  found  they  were  some  of  my  old  friends,  the  same 
sort  of  savages  that  I  had  been  used  to  engage  with ;  and  in  a  short  time  more 
they  rowed  a  little  farther  out  to  sea,  till  they  came  directly  broadside  with  us, 
and  then  rowed  down  straight  upon  us,  till  they  came  so  near  that  they  could 
hear  us  speak ;  upon  this  I  ordered  all  my  men  to  keep  close,  lest  they  should 
shoot  any  more  arrows,  and  made  all  our  guns  ready ;  but  being  so  near  as  to 
be  within  hearing,  I  made  Friday  go  out  upon  the  deck,  and  call  out  aloud  to 
them  in  his  language,  to  knoAV  what  they  meant ;  which  accordingly  he  did. 
Whether  they  understood  him  or  not,  that  I  knew  not ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had 
called  to  them,  six  of  them,  who  were  in  the  foremost  or  nighest  boat  to  us, 
turned  their  canoes  from  us,  and  stooping  down,  showed  us  their  naked  backs ; 
whether  this  was  a  defiance  or  challenge  we  knew  not,  or  whether  it  was  done  in 
mere  contempt,  or  as  a  signal  to  the  rest :  but  immediately  Friday  cried  out  they 
were  going  to  shoot,  and,  unhappily  for  him,  poor  fellow,  they  let  fly  about  three 
hundred  of  their  arrows,  and,  to  my  inexpressible  grief,  killed  poor  Friday,  no 
other  man  being  in  their  sight.  The  poor  fellow  was  shot  with  no  less  than 
three  arrows,  and  about  three  more  fell  very  near  him ;  such  unlucky  marksmen 
they  were! 

I  was  so  enraged  at  the  loss  of  my  old  trusty  servant  and  companion,  that  I  im- 


332 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


mediately  ordered  five  guns  to  be  loaded  with  small  shot,  and  four  with  great,  and 
gave  them  such  a  broadside  as  they  had  never  heard  in  their  lives  before,  to  be  sure. 
They  were  not  above  half  a  cable's  length  off  when  we  fired ;  and  our  gunners  took 
their  aim  so  well,  that  three  or  four  of  their  canoes  were  overset,  as  we  had  reason  to 
believe,  by  one  shot  only. 

The  ill  manners  of  turning  up  their  bare  backs  to  us  gave  us  no  great  offense ; 
neither  did  I  know  for  certain  whether  that  which  would  pass  for  the  greatest 
contempt  among  us  might  be  understood  so  by  them  or  not ;  therefore,  in  return, 
I   had   only  resolved  to  have  fired  four  or  five  guns  at  them  with  powder  only, 


wuPActf? 


■v%>, 


-fe^  i'V 


GIVING    THEM    A    SALUTE    OF    FIVE    GUNS  "    (/.   33O). 


which  I  knew  would  frighten  them  sufficiently :  but  when  they  shot  at  us  directly 
with  all  the  fury  they  were  capable  of,  and  especially  as  they  had  killed  my  poor 
Friday,  whom  I  so  entirely  loved  and  valued,  and  who,  indeed,  so  well  deserved 
it,  I  thought  myself  not  only  justifiable  before  God  and  man,  but  would  have 
been  very  glad  if  I  could  have  overset  every  canoe  there,  and  drowned  every  one 
of  thern. 

I  can  neither  tell  how  many  we  killed  nor  how  many  we  wounded  at  this 
broadside,  but  sure  such  a  fright  and  hurry  never  were  seen  among  such  a  mul- 
titude ;  there  were  thirteen  or  fourteen  of  their  canoes  split  and  overset  in  all, 
and  the  men  all  set  a-swimming :  the  rest,  frightened  out  of  their  wits,  scoured 
away  as  fast  as  they  could,  taking  but  little  care  to  save  those  whose  boats  were 
split  or  spoiled  with  our  shot ;  so  I  suppose  that  many  of  them  were  lost ;  and 
our  men  took  up  one  poor  fellow  swimming  for  his  life,  above  an  hour  after  they 
were  all  gone. 


Under  Sail  Again.  333 

The  small  shot  from  our  cannon  must  needs  kill  and  wound  a  great  many ;  but, 
in  short,  we  never  knew  how  it  went  with  them,  for  they  fled  so  fast  that,  in  three 
hours  or  thereabouts,  we  could  not  see  above  three  or  four  straggling  canoes,  nor 
did  we  ever  see  the  rest  any  more  ;  for  a  breeze  of  wind  springing  up  the  same  even- 
ing, we  weighed,  and  set  sail  for  the  Brazils. 

We  had  a  prisoner,  indeed,  but  the  creature  was  so  sullen  that  he  would 
neither  eat  nor  speak,  and  we  all  fancied  he  would  starve  himself  to  death :  but  I 
took  a  way  to  cure  him ;  for  I  made  them  take  him  and  turn  him  into  the  long- 
boat, and  make  him  believe  they  would  toss  him  into  the  sea  again,  and  so  leave 
him  where  they  found  him,  if  he  would  not  speak :  nor  would  that  do,  but  they 
really  did  throw  him  into  the  sea,  and  came  away  from  him ;  and  then  he 
followed  them,  for  he  swam  like  a  cork,  and  called  to  them  in  his  tongue,  though 
they  knew  not  one  word  of  what  he  said ;  however,  at  last,  they  took  him  in 
again,  and  then  he  began  to  be  more  tractable :  nor  did  I  ever  design  they  should 
drown  him. 

We  were  now  under  sail  again,  but  I  was  the  most  disconsolate  creature  alive 
for  want  of  my  man  Friday,  and  would  have  been  very  glad  to  have  gone  back 
to  the  island,  to  have  taken  one  of  the  rest  from  thence  for  my  occasion,  but  it 
could  not  be :  so  we  went  on.  We  had  one  prisoner,  as  I  have  said,  and  it  was 
a  long  time  before  we  could  make  him  understand  anything ;  but,  in  time,  our 
men  taught  him  some  English,  and  he  began  to  be  a  little  tractable.  Afterwards, 
we  inquired  what  country  he  came  from,  but  could  make  nothing  of  what  he  said  ; 
for  his  speech  was  so  odd,  all  gutturals,  and  he  spoke  in  the  throat  in  such  a 
hollow,  odd  manner,  that  we  could  never  form  a  word  after  him ;  and  we  were 
all  of  opinion  that  they  might  speak  that  language  as  well  if  they  were  gagged  as 
otherwise ;  nor  could  we  perceive  that  they  had  any  occasion  either  for  teeth, 
tongue,  lips,  or  palate,  but  formed  their  words  just  as  a  hunting-horn  forms  a  tune 
with  an  open  throat.  He  told  us,  however,  some  time  after,  when  we  had  taught 
him  to  speak  a  little  English,  that  they  were  going  with  their  kings  to  fight  a 
great  battle.  When  he  said  kings,  we  asked  him  how  many  kings.  He  said  they 
were  five  nation  (we  could  not  make  him  understand  the  plural  s),  and  that  they 
all  joined  to  go  against  two  nation.  We  asked  him  what  made  them  come  up  to 
us.  He  said,  "To  makee  te  great  wonder  look."  Here  it  is  to  be  observed,  that 
all  those  natives,  as  also  those  of  Africa,  when  they  learn  English,  always  add  two 
e's  at  the  end  of  the  words  where  we  use  one ;  and  they  place  the  accent  upon 
them,  as  makee,  takee,  and  the  like ;  nay,  I  could  hardly  make  Friday  leave  it  off, 
though  at  last  he  did. 

And-  now  I  name  the  poor  fellow  once  more,  I  must  take  my  last  leave  of  him. 
Poor  honest  Friday!  We  buried  him  with  all  the  decency  and  solemnity  possible, 
by  putting  him  into  a  coffin,  and  throwing  him  into  the  sea ;  and  I  caused  them  to 
fire  eleven  guns  for  him ;  and  so  ended  the  life  of  the  most  grateful,  faithful,  honest, 
and  most  affectionate  servant  that  ever  man  had. 

We  went  now  away  with  a  fair  wind  for  Brazil ;  and  in  about  twelve  days'  time 
we  made  land,  in  the  latitude  of  five  degrees  south  of  the  line,  being  the  north- 


334  Robinson  Crusoe. 

easternmost  land  of  all  that  part  of  America.  We  kept  on  S.  by  E.,  in  sight  of  the 
shore  four  days,  when  we  made  Cape  St.  Augustine,  and  in  three  days  came  to  an 
anchor  off  the  bay  of  All  Saints,  the  old  place  of  my  deliverance,  from  whence  came 
both  my  good  and  evil  fate. 

Never  ship  came  to  this  port  that  had  less  business  than  I  had,  and  yet  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  we  were  admitted  to  hold  the  least  correspondence 
on  shore :  not  my  partner  himself,  who  was  alive,  and  made  a  great  figure  among 
them ;  not  my  two  merchant-trustees ;  not  the  fame  of  my  wonderful  preservation 
in  the  island,  could  obtain  me  that  favor ;  but  my  partner,  remembering  that  I 
had  given  five  hundred  moidores  to  the  Prior  of  the  Monastery  of  the  Augustines 
and  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  to  the  poor,  went  to  the  monastery,  and 
obliged  the  prior  that  then  was  to  go  to  the  governor,  and  get  leave  for  me 
personally,  with  the  captain  and  one  more,  besides  eight  seamen,  to  come  on 
shore  and  no  more  ;  and  this  upon  condition,  absolutely  capitulated  for,  that  we 
should  not  offer  to  land  any  goods  out  of  the  ship,  or  to  carry  any  person  away 
without  license.  They  were  so  strict  with  us,  as  to  landing  any  goods,  that  it  was 
with  extreme  difficulty  that  I  got  on  shore  three  bales  of  English  goods,  such  as 
fine  broadcloths,  stuffs,  and  some  linen,  which  I  had  brought  for  a  present  to  my 
partner. 

He  was  a  very  generous,  open-hearted  man  ;  though,  like  me,  he  began  with 
little  at  first ;  and  though  he  knew  not  that  I  had  the  least  design  of  giving  him 
anything,  he  sent  me  on  board  a  present  of  fresh  provisions,  wine,  and  sweet- 
meats, worth  above  thirty  moidores,  including  some  tobacco,  and  three  or  four 
fine  medals  of  gold :  but  I  was  even  with  him  in  my  present,  which,  as  I  have 
said,  consisted  of  fine  broadcloth,  English  stuffs,  lace,  and  fine  Hollands ;  also,  I 
delivered  him  about  the  value  of  one  hundred  pounds  sterling,  in  the  same  goods, 
for  other  uses  ;  and  I  obliged  him  to  set  up  the  sloop,  which  I  had  brought  with 
me  from  England,  as  I  have  said,  for  the  use  of  my  colony,  in  order  to  send  the 
refreshments  I  intended  to  my  plantation. 

Accordingly,  he  got  hands,  and  finished  the  sloop  in  a  very  few  days,  for  she 
was  already  framed ;  and  I  gave  the  master  of  her  such  instructions  that  he 
could  not  miss  the  place ;  nor  did  he,  as  I  had  an  account  from  my  partner 
afterwards.  I  got  him  soon  loaded  with  the  small  cargo  I  sent  them ;  and  one 
of  our  seamen,  that  had  been  on  shore  with  me  there,  offered  to  go  with  the 
sloop  and  settle  there,  upon  my  letter  to  the  governor  Spaniard,  to  allot  him  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  land  for  a  plantation,  and  giving  him  some  clothes  and  tools 
for  his  planting  work,  which  he  said  he  understood,  having  been  an  old  planter  at 
Maryland,  and  a  buccaneer  into  the  bargain.  I  encouraged  the  fellow  by  granting 
all  he  desired ;  and,  as  an  addition,  I  gave  him  the  savage  whom  we  had  taken 
prisoner  of  war,  to  be  his  slave,  and  ordered  the  governor  Spaniard  to  give  him 
his  share  of  everything  he  wanted  with  the  rest. 

When  we  came  to  fit  this  man  out,  my  old  partner  told  me  there  was  a 
certain  very  honest  fellow,  a  Brazil  planter  of  his  acquaintance,  who  had  fallen 
into  the  displeasure  of  the  Church.     "  I  know  not  what  the  matter  is  with  him," 


The  Last  of  the  Island.  335 

says  he,  "  but,  on  my  conscience,  I  think  he  is  a  heretic  in  his  heart,  and  he  has 
been  obliged  to  conceal  himself  for  fear  of  the  Inquisition  ;  "  that  he  would  be 
very  glad  of  such  an  opportunity  to  make  his  escape,  with  his  wife  and  two 
daughters ;  and  if  I  would  let  them  go  to  my  island,  and  allot  them  a  plantation, 
he  would  give  them  a  small  stock  to  begin  with — for  the  officers  of  the  Inquisi- 
tion had  seized  all  his  effects  and  estate,  and  he  had  nothing  left  but  a  little 
household  stuff  and  two  slaves.  "  And,"  adds  he,  "  though  I  hate  his  principles, 
yet  I  would  not  have  him  fall  into  their  hands,  for  he  will  be  assuredly  burned 
alive  if  he  does." 

I  granted  this  presently,  and  joined  my  Englishman  with  them ;  and  we 
concealed  the  man,  and  his  wife  and  daughters,  on  board  our  ship,  till  the  sloop 
put  out  to  go  to  sea ;  and  then,  having  put  all  their  goods  on  board  some  time 
before,  we  put  them  on  board  the  sloop  after  she  was  got  out  of  the  bay. 

Our  seaman  was  mightily  pleased  with  this  new  partner ;  and  their  stocks, 
indeed,  were  much  alike,  rich  in  tools,  in  preparations,  and  a  farm — but  nothing 
to  begin  with,  except  as  above :  however,  they  carried  over  with  them  what 
was  worth  all  the  rest,  some  materials  for  planting  sugar-canes,  with  some  plants 
of  canes,  which  he — I  mean  the  Portugal  man — understood  very  well. 

Among  the  rest  of  the  supplies  sent  to  my  tenants  in  the  island,  I  sent  them 
by  the  sloop  three  milch  cows  and  five  calves,  about  twenty-two  hogs,  among 
them  three  sows  big  with  pig,  two  mares,  and  a  stone-horse.  For  my  Spaniards, 
according  to  my  promise,  I  engaged  three  Portugal  women  to  go,  and  recom- 
mended it  to  them  to  marry  them  and  use  them  kindly.  I  could  have  procured 
more  women,  but  I  remembered  that  the  poor  persecuted  man  had  two  daughters, 
and  that  there  were  but  five  of  the  Spaniards  that  wanted — the  rest  had  wives  of 
their  own,  though  in  another  country. 

All  this  cargo  arrived  safe,  and,  as  you  may  easily  suppose,  was  very  welcome 
to  my  old  inhabitants,  who  were  now,  with  this  addition,  between  sixty  and  seventy 
people,  besides  little  children,  of  which  there  were  a  great  many.  I  found  letters 
at  London  from  them  all,  by  way  of  Lisbon,  when  I  came  back  to  England,  of 
which  I  shall  also  take  some  notice  immediately. 

I  have  now  done  with  the  island,  and  all  manner  of  discourse  about  it :  and 
whoever  reads  the  rest  of  my  memorandums  would  do  well  to  turn  his  thoughts 
entirely  from  it,  and  expect  to  read  of  the  follies  of  an  old  man,  not  warned  by 
his  own  harms,  much  less  by  those  of  other  men,  to  beware :  not  cooled  by 
almost  forty  years'  miseries  and  disappointments ;  not  satisfied  with  prosperity 
beyond  expectation,  nor  made  cautious  by  afflictions  and  distress  beyond  imitation. 

I  had  no  more  business  to  go  to  the  East  Indies  than  a  man  at  full  liberty 
has  to  go  to  the  turnkey  at  Newgate  and  desire  him  to  lock  him  up  among  the 
prisoners  there,  and  starve  him.  Had  I  taken  a  small  vessel  from  England,  and 
gone  directly  to  the  island ;  had  I  loaded  her,  as  I  did  the  other  vessel,  with  all 
the  necessaries  for  the  plantation,  and  for  my  people  ;  taken  a  patent  from  the 
Government  here  to  have  secured  my  property  in  subjection  only  to  that  of 
England ;    had   I  carried  over  cannon    and    ammunition,  servants    and    people    to 


336 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


plant,  and  taken  possession  of  the  place,  fortified  and  strengthened  it  m  she  name 
of  England,  and  increased  it  with  people,  as  I  might  easily  have  done ;  had  I 
then  settled  myself  there,  and  sent  the  ship  back  laden  with  good  rice,  as  I  might 
also  have  done  in  six  months'  time,  and  ordered  my  friends  to  have  fitted  her  out 
again  for  our  supply, — had  I  done  this,  and  stayed  there  myself,  I  had   at  least 

acted  like  a  man  of  common  sense : 
but  I  was  possessed  of  a  wandering 
spirit,  and  scorned  all  advantages :  I 
pleased  myself  with  being-  the  patron  of 
the  people  I  placed  there,  and  doing 
for  them  in  a  kind 
of  haughty,  majestic 
way,  like  an  old 
patriarchal  monarch, 
providing  for  them 
as  if  I  had  been 
father  of  the  whole 
family,  as  well  as  of 
the  plantation :  but 
I  never  so  much  as 
pretended  to  plant 
in  the  name  of  any 
government  or  nation, 
or  to  acknowledge 
any  prince,  or  to  call 
my  people  subjects 
to  any  one  nation 
more  than  another : 
nay,  I  never  so  much 
as  gave  the  place  a 
name,  but  left  it  as 
I  found  it,  belonging 
to  nobody,  and  the 
people  under  no  dis- 
cipline or  govern- 
ment but  my  own ;  who,  though  I  had  influence  over  them  as  a  father  and 
benefactor,  had  no  authority  or  power  to  act  or  command  one  way  or  other, 
further  than  voluntary  consent  moved  them  to  comply ;  yet  even  this,  had  I 
stayed  there,  would  have  done  well  enough :  but  as  I  rambled  from  them  and 
came  there  no  more,  the  last  letters  I  had  from  any  of  them  were  by  my 
partner's  means,  who  afterwards  sent  another  sloop  to  the  place,  and  who  sent 
me  word,  though  I  had  not  the  letter  till  I  got  to  London,  several  years 
after  it  was  written,  that  they  went  on  but  poorly ;  were  discontent  with  their  long 
stay  there ;    that  Will  Atkins  was    dead ;    that  five    of    the  Spaniards  were  come 


v>fr 


r- 


KILLED    POOR    FRIDAY 


(A    331)- 


Rounding  the  Cape.  337 

away ;  and  though  they  had  not  been  much  molested  by  the  savages,  yet  they  had 
had  some  skirmishes  with  them ;  and  that  they  begged  of  him  to  write  to  me  to 
think  of  the  promise  I  had  made  to  fetch  them  away,  that  they  might  see  their 
country  again  before  they  died. 

But  I  was  gone  a  wildgoose  chase  indeed!  and  they  that  will  have  any  more 
of 'me  must  be  content  to  follow  me  into  a  new  variety  of  follies,  hardships,  and 
wild  adventures,  wherein  the  justice  of  Providence  may  be  duly  observed ;  and  we 
may  see  how  easily  Heaven  can  gorge  us  with  our  own  desires,  make  the 
strongest  of  our  wishes  be  our  affliction,  and  punish  us  most  severely  with  those 
very  things  which  we  think  it  would  be  our  utmost  happiness  to  be  allowed  in. 
Whether  I  had  business  or  no  business,  away  I  went :  it  is  no  time  now  to  enlarge 
upon  the  reason  or  absurdity  of  my  own  conduct,  but  to  come  to  the  history — I 
was  embarked  for  the  voyage,  and  the  voyage  I  went. 

I  shall  only  add  a  word  or  two  concerning  my  honest  Popish  clergyman ;  for 
let  their  opinions  of  us,  and  all  other  heretics  in  general,  as  they  call  us,  be  as 
uncharitable  as  it  may,  I  verily  believe  this  man  was  very  sincere,  and  wished  the 
good  of  all  men :  yet  I  believe  he  was  upon  the  reserve  in  many  of  his  expressions, 
to  prevent  giving  me  offense ;  for  I  scarce  heard  him  once  call  on  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  or  mention  St.  Jago,  or  his  guardian  angel,  though  so  common  with  the 
rest  of  them ;  however,  I  say,  I  had  not  the  least  doubt  of  his  sincerity  and  pious 
intentions ;  and  I  am  firmly  of  opinion,  if  the  rest  of  the  Popish  missionaries  were 
like  him,  they  would  strive  to  visit  even  the  poor  Tartars  and  Laplanders,  where 
they  have  nothing  to  give  them,  as  well  as  covet  to  flock  to  India,  Persia,  China, 
etc.,  the  most  wealthy  of  the  heathen  couniries;  for  if  they  expected  to  bring  no 
gains  to  their  church  by  it,  it  may  well  be  admired  how  they  came  to  admit  the 
Chinese  Confucius  into  the  calendar  of  the  Christian  saints. 

A  ship  being  ready  to  sail  for  Lisbon,  my  pious  priest  asked  me  leave  to  go 
thither ;  being  still,  as  he  observed,  bound  never  to  finish  any  voyage  he  began. 
How  happy  it  had  been  for  me  if  I  had  gone  with  him  !  But  it  was  too  late 
now:  all  things  Heaven  appoints  for  the  best:  had  I  gone  with  him,  I  had  never 
had  so  many  things  to  be  thankful  for,  and  the  reader  had  never  heard  of  the 
second  part  of  the  travels  and  adventures  of  Robinson  Crusoe ;  so  I  must  here 
leave  exclaiming  at  myself,  and  go  on  with  my  voyage.  From  the  Brazils,  we 
made  directly  over  the  Atlantic  Sea  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  had  a 
tolerably  good  voyage,  our  course  generally  south-east,  now  and  then  a  storm,  and 
some  contrary  winds :  but  my  disasters  at  sea  were  at  an  end, — my  future  rubs 
and  cross  events  were  to  befall  me  on  shore,  that  it  might  appear  the  land  was 
as  well  prepared  to  be  our  scourge  as  the  sea. 

Our  ship  was  on  a  trading  voyage,  and  had  a  supercargo  on  board,  who  was 
to  direct  all  her  motions  after  she  arrived  at  the  Cape,  only  being  limited  to  a 
certain  number  of  days  for  stay,  by  charter-party,  at  the  several  ports  she  was  to 
go  to.  This  was  none-  of  my  business,  neither  did  I  meddle  with  it ;  my  nephew, 
the  captain,  and  the  supercargo,  adjusting  all  those  things  between  them  as  they 
thought  fit. 


338  Robinson  Crusoe. 

We  stayed  at  the  Cape  no  longer  than  was  needful  to  take  in  fresh  water, 
but  made  the  best  of  our  way  for  the  coast  of  Coromandel.  We  were,  indeed, 
informed  that  a  French  man-of-war,  of  fifty  guns,  and  two  large  merchant  ships, 
were  gone  for  the  Indies ;  and  as  I  knew  we  were  at  war  with  France,  I  had 
some  apprehensions  of  them ;  but  they  went  their  own  way,  and  we  heard  no 
more  of  them. 

I  shall  not  pester  the  reader  with  a  tedious  description  of  places,  journals  of 
our  voyages,  variations  of  the  compass,  latitudes,  trade-winds,  etc. ;  it  is  enough  to 
name  the  ports  and  places  which  we  touched  at,  and  what  occurred  to  us  upon  our 
passage  from  one  to  another.  We  touched  first  at  the  island  of  Madagascar, 
where,  though  the  people  are  fierce  and  treacherous,  and  very  well  armed  with 
lances  and  bows,  which  they  use  with  inconceivable  dexterity,  yet  we  fared  very 
well  with  them  awhile  ;  they  treated  us  very  civilly ;  and  for  some  trifles  which  we 
gave  them,  such  as  knives,  scissors,  etc.,  they  brought  us  eleven  good  fat  bullocks, 
of  a  middling  size,  which  we  took  in,  partly  for  fresh  provisions  for  our  present 
spending,  and  the  rest  to  salt  for  the  ship's  use. 

We  were  obliged  to  stay  here  some  time  after  we  had  furnished  ourselves  with 
provisions;  and  I,  who  was  always  too  curious  to  look  into  every  nook  of  the 
world  wherever  I  came,  went  on  shore  as  often  as  I  could.  It  was  on  the  east 
side  of  the  island  that  we  went  on  shore  one  evening ;  and  the  people,  who,  by 
the  way,  are  very  numerous,  came  thronging  about  us,  and  stood  gazing  at  us  at 
a  distance  ;  but  as  we  had  traded  freely  with  them,  and  had  been  kindly  used, 
we  thought  ourselves  in  no  danger.  When  we  saw  the  people,  we  cut  three 
boughs  out  of  a  tree,  and  stuck  them  up  at  a  distance  from  us ;  which,  it  seems, 
is  a  mark  in  that  country,  not  only  of  a  truce  of  friendship,  but  when  it  is 
accepted,  the  other  side  set  up  three  poles  or  boughs,  which  is  a  signal  that  they 
accept  the  truce,  too ;  but  then  this  is  a  known  condition  of  the  truce,  that  you 
are  not  to  pass  beyond  their  three  poles  towards  them,  nor  they  to  come  past 
your  three  poles,  or  boughs,  towards  you ;  so  that  you  are  perfectly  secure  within 
the  three  poles,  and  all  the  space  between  your  poles  and  theirs  is  allowed  like  a 
market  for  free  converse,  traffic,  and  commerce.  When  you  go  there  you  must 
not  carry  your  weapons  with  you :  and  if  they  come  into  that  space,  they  stick  up 
their  javelins  and  lances  all  at  the  first  poles,  and  come  on  unarmed ;  but  if  any 
violence  is  offered  them,  and  the  truce  thereby  broken,  away  they  run  to  the 
poles,  and  lay  hold  of  their  weapons,  and  the  truce  is  at  an  end. 

It  happened  one  evening,  when  we  went  on  shore,  that  a  greater  number  of 
their  people  came  down  than  usual,  but  all  very  friendly  and  civil ;  and  they 
brought  several  kinds  of  provisions,  for  which  we  satisfied  them  with  such  toys 
as  we  had ;  the  women  also  brought  us  milk  and  roots,  and  several  things  very 
acceptable  to  us,  and  all  was  quiet,  and  we  made  us  a  little  tent  or  hut  of  some 
boughs  or  trees,  and  lay  on  shore  all  night. 

I  know  not  what  was  the  occasion,  but  I  was  not  so  well  satisfied  to  lie  on 
shore  as  the  rest ;  and  the  boat  riding  at  anchor  at  about  a  stone's  cast  from  the 
land,  with   two  men   in   her  to  take   care   of  her,   I  made   one  of  them  come  on 


Another  Adventure.  339 

shore ;  and  getting  some  boughs  of  trees  to  cover  us  also  in  the  boat,  I  spread 
the  sail  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  and  lay  under  the  cover  of  the  branches  of 
the  trees  all  night  in  the  boat. 

About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  heard  one  of  our  men  make  a  terrible 
noise  on  the  shore,  calling  out  for  God's  sake  to  bring  the  boat  in,  and  come 
and  help  them,  for  they  were  all  like  to  be  murdered ;  at  the  same  time,  I  heard 
the  fire  of  five  muskets,  which  was  the  number  of  guns  they  had,  and  that  three 
times  over ;  for,  it  seems,  the  natives  here  were  not  so  easily  frightened  with  guns 
as  the  savages  were  in  America,  where  I  had  to  do  with  them.  All  this  while  I 
knew  not  what  was  the  matter,  but  rousing  immediately  from  sleep  with  the  noise, 
I  caused  the  boat  to  be  thrust  in,  and  resolved,  with  three  fusees  we  had  on 
board,  to  land  and  assist  our  men. 

We  got  the  boat  soon  to  the  shore,  but  our  men  were  in  too  much  haste ;  for 
being  come  to  the  shore,  they  plunged  into  the  water,  to  get  to  the  boat  with  all 
the  expedition  they  could,  being  pursued  by  between  three  or  four  hundred  men. 
Our  men  were  but  nine  in  all,  and  only  five  of  them  had  fusees  with  them ; 
the  rest  had  pistols  and  swords,  indeed,  but  they  were  of  small  use  to  them. 

We  took  up  seven  of  our  men,  and  with  difficulty  enough  too,  three  of  them 
being  very  ill  wounded ;  and  that  which  was  still  worse  was,  that  while  we  stood 
in  the  boat  to  take  our  men  in,  we  were  in  as  much  danger  as  they  were  in  on 
shore ;  for  they  poured  their  arrows  in  upon  us  so  thick  that  we  were  glad  to 
barricade  the  side  of  the  boat  up  with  the  benches,  and  two  or  three  loose 
boards,  which,  to  our  great  satisfaction,  we  had  by  mere  accident  in  the  boat. 
And  yet,  had  it  been  daylight,  they  are,  it  seems,  such  exact  marksmen,  that  if 
they  could  have  seen  but  the  least  part  of  any  of  us,  they  would  have  been  sure 
of  us.  We  had,  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  a  little  sight  of  them,  as  they  stood 
pelting  us  from  the  shore  with  darts  and  arrows ;  and  having  got  ready  our 
fire-arms,  we  gave  them  a  volley,  that  we  could  hear,  by  the  cries  of  some  of 
them,  had  wounded  several ;  however,  they  stood  thus  in  battle  array  on  the  shore 
till  break  of  day,  which  we  supposed  was  that  they  might  see  the  better  to  take  their 
aim  at  us. 

In  this  condition  we  lay,  and  could  not  tell  how  to  weigh  our  anchor,  or  set 
up  our  sail,  because  we  must  needs  stand  up  in  the  boat,  and  they  were  as  sure 
to  hit  us  as  we  were  to  hit  a  bird  in  a  tree  with  small  shot.  We  made  signals 
of  distress  to  the  ship,  and,  though  she  rode  a  league  off,  yet  my  nephew,  the 
captain,  hearing  our  firing,  and  by  glasses  perceiving  the  posture  we  lay  in,  and 
that  we  fired  towards  the  shore,  pretty  well  understood  us ;  and  weighing  anchor 
with  all  speed,  he  stood  as  near  the  shore  as  he  durst  with  the  ship,  and  then 
sent  another  boat,  with  ten  hands  in  her,  to  assist  us ;  but  we  called  to  them  not 
to  come  too  near,  telling  them  what  condition  we  were  in ;  however,  they  stood 
in  near  to  us,  and  one  of  the  men  taking  the  end  of  a  tow-line  in  his  hand,  and 
keeping  one  boat  between  him  and  the  enemy,  so  that  they  could  not  perfectly 
see  him,  swam  on  board  us,  and  made  fast  the  line  to  the  boat;  upon  which  we 
slipped  out  a  little  cable,  and  leaving  our  anchor  behind,   they   towed   us  out  of 


340  Robinson  Crusoe. 

reach  of  the  arrows ;  we  all  the  while  lying  close  behind  the  barricado  we  had 
made. 

As  soon  as  we  were  got  from  between  the  ship  and  the  shore,  that  we  could 
lay  her  side  to  the  shore,  she  ran  along  just  by  them,  and  poured  in  a  broadside 
among  them,  loaded  with  pieces  of  iron  and  lead,  small  bullets,  and  such  stuff, 
besides  the  great  shot,  which  made  a  terrible  havoc  among  them. 

When  we  were  got  on  board,  and  out  of  danger,  we  had  time  to  examine 
into  the  occasion  of  this  fray ;  and,  indeed,  our  supercargo,  who  had  been  often 
in  those  parts,  put  me  upon  it ;  for  he  said  he  was  sure  the  inhabitants  would 
not  have  touched  us  after  we  had  made  a  truce,  if  we  had  not  done  something 
to  provoke  them  to  it.  At  length,  it  came  out  that  an  old  woman,  who  had 
come  to  sell  us  some  milk,  had  brought  it  within  our  poles,  and  a  young  woman 
with  her,  who  also  brought  some  roots  or  herbs ;  and  while  the  old  woman 
(whether  she  was  mother  to  the  young  woman  or  no  they  could  not  tell)  was 
selling  us  the  milk,  one  of  our  men  offered  some  rudeness  to  the  wench  that  was 
with  her,  at  which  the  old  woman  made  a  great  noise :  however,  the  seaman 
would  not  quit  his  prize,  but  carried  her  out  of  the  old  woman's  sight  among  the 
trees,  it  being  almost  dark ;  the  old  woman  went  away  without  her,  and,  as  we 
may  suppose,  made  an  outcry  among  the  people  she  came  from ;  who,  upon 
notice,  raised  this  great  army  upon  us  in  three  or  four  hours,  and  it  was  great 
odds  but  we  had  all  been  destroyed. 

One  of  our  men  was  killed  with  a  lance  thrown  at  him  just  at  the  beginning 
of  the  attack,  as  he  sallied  out  of  the  tent  they  had  made ;  the  rest  came  off 
free,  all  but  the  fellow  who  was  the  occasion  of  all  the  mischief,  who  paid  dear 
enough  for  his  black  mistress,  for  we  could  not  hear  what  became  of  him  for  a 
great  while.  We  lay  upon  the  shore  two  days  after,  though  the  wind  presented, 
and  made  signals  for  him,  and  made  our  boat  sail  up  shore  and  down  shore 
several  leagues,  but  in  vain ;  so  we  were  obliged  to  give  him  over ;  and  if  he 
alone  had  suffered  for  it,  the  loss  had  been  less. 

I  could  not  satisfy  myself,  however,  without  venturing  on  shore  once  more,  to 
try  if  I  could  learn  anything  of  him  or  them ;  it  was  the  third  night  after  the 
action  that  I  had  a  great  mind  to  leam,  if  I  could  by  any  means,  what  mischief 
we  had  done,  and  how  the  game  stood  on  the  Indians'  side.  I  was  careful  to  do 
it  in  the  dark,  lest  we  should  be  attacked  again :  but  I  ought,  indeed,  to  have 
been  sure  that  the  men  I  went  with  had  been  under  my  command,  before  I 
engaged  in  a  thing  so  hazardous  and  mischievous  as  I  was  brought  into  by  it, 
without  design. 

We  took  twenty  as  stout  fellows  with  us  as  any  in  the  ship,  besides  the  super- 
cargo and  myself,  and  we  landed  two  hours  before  midnight,  at  the  same  place 
where  the  Indians  stood  drawn  up  on  the  evening  before.  I  landed  here,  because 
my  design,  as  I  have  said,  was  chiefly  to  see  if  they  had  quitted  the  field,  and  if 
they  had  left  any  marks  behind  them  of  the  mischief  we  had  done  them  ;  and  I 
thought,  if  we  could  surprise  one  or  two  of  them,  perhaps  we  might  get  our  man 
again  by  way  of  exchange. 


To  the  Rescue. 


341 


We  landed  without  any  noise,  and  divided  our  men  into  two  bodies,  whereof 
the  boatswain  commanded  one,  and  I  the  other.  We  neither  saw  nor  heard  any- 
body stir  when  we  landed ;  and  we  marched  up,  one  body  at  a  distance  from 
the  other,  to  the  place ;  but  at  first  could  see  nothing,  it  being  very  dark ;  till 
by  and  by  our  boatswain,  who  led  the  first  party,  stumbled  and  fell  over  a  dead 
body.  This  made  them  halt  awhile ;  for  knowing  by  the  circumstances  that  they 
were  at  the  place  where  the  Indians  had  stood,  they  waited  for  my  coming  up 
there.  We  concluded  to  halt  till  the  moon  began  to  rise,  which  we  knew  would 
be  in  less  than  an  hour,  when  we  could  easily  discern   the  havoc  we  had  made 


v*^?Wf 


"we  gave  them  a  volley"  (p.  339). 


among  them.  We  told  thirty-two  bodies  upon  the  ground,  whereof  two  were  not 
quite  dead ;  some  had  an  arm  and  some  a  leg  shot  off,  and  one  his  head,  those 
that  were  wounded,  we  supposed,  they  had  carried  away. 

When  we  had  made,  as  I  thought,  a  full  discovery  of  all  we  could  come  to 
the  knowledge  of,  I  resolved  on  going  on  board ;  but  the  boatswain  and  his  party 
sent  me  word  that  they  were  resolved  to  make  a  visit  to  the  Indian  town,  where  these 
dogs,  as  they  called  them,  .dwelt,  and  asked  me  to  go  along  with  them ;  and  if 
they  could  find  them,  as  they  still  fancied  they  should,  they  did  not  doubt  of 
getting  a  good  booty ;  and  it  might  be  they  might  find  Tom  Jeffry  there ;  that 
was  the  man's  name  we  had  lost. 

Had  they  sent  to  ask  my  leave  to  go,  I  knew  well  enough  what  answer  to 
have  given  them ;  for  I  should  have  commanded  them  instantly  on  board,  knowing  it 
was  not  a  hazard  fit  for  us  to  run,  who  had  a  ship  and  ship-loading  in  our 
charge,  and  a  voyage  to  make  which  depended  very  much  upon  the  lives  of  the 


342  Robinson  Crusoe. 

men ;  but  as  the,  sent  me  word  they  were  resolved  to  go,  and  only  asked  me 
and  my  company  to  go  along  with  them,  I  positively  refused  it,  and  rose  up,  for 
I  was  sitting  on  the  ground,  in  order  to  go  to  the  boat.  One  or  two  of  the  men 
began  to  importune  me  to  go  ;  and  when  I  refused,  began  to  grumble,  and  say 
they  were  not  under  my  command,  and  they  would  go.  "  Come,  Jack,"  says  one 
of  the  men,  "will  you  go  with  me?  I'll  go  for  one."  Jack  said  he  would — and 
then  another, — and,  in  a  word,  they  all  left  me  but  one,  whom  I  persuaded  to 
stay,  and  a  boy  left  in  the  boat.  So  the  supercargo  and  I,  with  the  third  man, 
went  back  to  the  boat,  where  we  told  them  we  would  stay  for  them,  and  take 
in  as  many  of  them  as  should  be  left ;  for  I  told  them  it  was  a  mad  thing  they 
were  going  about,  and  supposed  most  of  them  would  have  the  fate  of  Tom  Jeffry. 

They  told  me,  like  seamen,  they  would  warrant  it  they  would  come  off  again, 
and  they  would  take  care,  etc. ;  so  away  they  went.  I  entreated  them  to 
consider  the  ship  and  the  voyage,  that  their  lives  were  not  their  own,  and  that 
they  were  intrusted  with  the  voyage,  in  some  measure ;  that  if  they  miscarried, 
the  ship  might  be  lost  for  want  of  their  help,  and  that  they  could  not  answer  for 
it  to  God  or  man.  But  I  might  as  well  have  talked  to  the  mainmast  of  the 
ship ;  they  were  mad  upon  their  journey :  only  they  gave  me  good  words,  and 
begged  I  would  not  be  angry ;  that  they  did  not  doubt  but  they  would  be  back 
again  in  about  an  hour  at  farthest ;  for  the  Indian  town,  they  said,  was  not  above 
half  a  mile  off,  though  they  found  it  above  two  miles  before  they  got  to  it. 

AVell,  they  all  went  away,  and  though  the  attempt  was  desperate,  and  such  as 
none  but  madmen  would  have  gone  about,  yet,  to  give  them  their  due,  they  went 
about  it  as  warily  as  boldly ;  they  were  gallantly  armed,  for  they  had  every  man 
a  fusee  or  musket,  a  bayonet,  and  a  pistol ;  some  of  them  had  broad  cutlasses, 
some  of  them  had  hangers,  and  the  boatswain  and  two  more  had  poleaxes ; 
besides  all  which,  they  had  among  them  thirteen  hand  grenadoes ;  bolder  fellows, 
and  better  provided,  never  went  about  any  wicked  work  in  the  world. 

When  they  went  out,  their  chief  design  was  plunder,  and  they  were  in  mighty 
hopes  of  finding  gold  there ;  but  a  circumstance  which  none  of  them  were  aware 
of  set  them  on  fire  with  revenge,  and  made  devils  of  them  all. 

When  they  came  to  the  few  Indian  houses  which  they  thought  had  been  the 
town,  which  was  not  above  half  a  mile  off,  they  were  under  a  great  disappoint- 
ment, for  there  were  not  above  twelve  or  thirteen  houses ;  and  where  the  town 
was,  or  how  big,  they  knew  not.  They  consulted,  therefore,  what  to  do,  and 
were  some  time  before  they  could  resolve  ;  for  if  they  fell  upon  these,  they  must 
cut  all  their  throats ;  and  it  was  ten  to  one  but  some  of  them  might  escape, 
it  being  in  the  night,  though  the  moon  was  up  ;  and  if  one  escaped,  he  would 
run  and  raise  all  the  town,  so  they  should  have  a  whole  army  upon  them :  again, 
on  the  other  hand,  if  they  went  away  and  left  those  untouched,  for  the  people 
were  all  asleep,  they  could  not  tell  which  way  to  look  for  the  town :  however,  the 
last  was  the  best  advice,  so  they  resolved  to  leave  them  and  look  for  the  town  as 
well  as  they  could.  They  went  on  a  little  way,  and  found  a  cow  tied  to  a  tree ; 
this,  they  presently  concluded,  would  be  a  good  guide  to  them ;   for,  they  said,  the 


Revenge.  343 

cow  certainly  belonged  to  the  town  before  them,  or  the  town  behind  them,  and  if 
they  untied  her,  they  should  see  which  way  she  went :  if  she  went  back  they  had 
nothing  to  say  to  her ;  but  if  she  went  forward  they  would  follow  her :  so  they 
cut  the  cord,  which  was  made  of  twisted  flags,  and  the  cow  went  on  before 
them,  directly  to  the  town ;  which,  as  they  reported,  consisted  of  above  two 
hundred  houses  or  huts,  and  in  some  of  these  they  found  several  families  living 
together. 

Here  they  found  all  in  silence,  as  profoundly  secure  as  sleep  could  make 
them :  and,  first,  they  called  another  council,  to  consider  what  they  had  to  do ; 
and,  in  a  word,  they  resolved  to  divide  themselves  into  three  bodies,  and  so  set 
three  houses  on  fire  in  three  parts  of  the  town ;  and  as  the  men  came  out,  to 
seize  them  and  bind  them  (if  any  resisted,  they  need  not  be  asked  what  to  do 
then),  and  so  to  search  the  rest  of  the  houses  for  plunder.  But  they  resolved  to 
march  silently  first  through  the  town,  and  see  what  dimensions  it  was  of,  and  if 
they  might  venture  upon  it  or  no. 

They  did  so,  and  desperately  resolved  that  they  would  venture  upon  them ; 
but  while  they  were  animating  one  another  to  the  work,  three  of  them,  who  were 
a  little  befo  the  rest,  called  out  aloud  to  them,  and  told  them  that  they  had 
found  Tom  )effry  :  they  all  ran  up  to  the  place,  where  they  had  found  the  poor 
fellow  hanging  up  naked  by  one  arm,  and  his  throat  cut.  There  was  an  Indian 
house  just  by  the  tree,  where  they  found  sixteen  or  seventeen  of  the  principal 
Indians,  who  had  been  concerned  in  the  fray  with  us  before,  and  two  or  three  of 
them  wounded  with  our  shot ;  and  our  men  found  they  were  awake,  and  talking 
one  to  another  in  that  house,  but  knew  not  their  number. 

The  sight  of  their  poor  mangled  comrade  so  enraged  them,  as  before,  that 
they  swore  to  one  another  they  would  be  revenged,  and  that  not  an  Indian  that 
came  into  their  hands  should  have  any  quarter ;  and  to  work  they  went  im- 
mediately, and  yet  not  so  madly  as  might  be  expected  from  the  rage  "and  fury 
they  were  in.  Their  first  care  was  to  get  something  that  would  soon  take  fire ; 
but,  after  a  little  search,  they  found  that  would  be  to  no  purpose ;  for  most  of 
the  houses  were  low,  and  thatched  with  flags  and  rushes,  of  which  the  country  is 
full ;  so  they  presently  made  some  wildfire,  as  we  call  it,  by  wetting  a  little 
powder  in  the  palm  of  their  hands,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  set  the 
town  on  fire  in  four  or  five  places,  and  particularly  that  house  where  the  Indians 
were  not  gone  to  bed. 

As  soon  as  the  fire  began  to  blaze,  the  poor,  frightened  creatures  began  to  rush 
out  to  save  their  lives,  but  met  with  their  fate  in  the  attempt ;  and  especially  at  the 
door,  where  they  drove  them  back,  the  boatswain  himself  killing  one  or  two  with 
his  poleaxe.  The  house  being  large,  and  many  in  it,  he  did  not  care  to  go  in, 
but  called  for  a  hand  grenado,  and  threw  it  among  them,  which  at  first  frightened 
them,  but,  when  it  burst,  made  such  havoc  among  them  that  they  cried  out  in  a  hideous 
manner.  In  short,  most  of  the  Indians  who  were  in  the  open  part  of  the  house 
were  killed  or  hurt  with  the  grenado,  except  two  or  three  more  who  pressed  to 
the  door,  which  the  boatswain  and    two  more  kept,  with    their  bayo/iets  on  the 


344 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


muzzles  of  their  pieces,  and  dispatched  all  that  came  in  their  way ;   but  there  was 
another  apartment  in  the  house,  where  the  prince   or  king,  or  whatever  he  was, 
and  several  others,  were ;    and  these  were  kept  in    till    the  house,   which  was  by 
this  time  all  in  a  light  flame,  fell  in  upon  them,  and  they  were  smothered  together. 
All  this  while  they  fired  not  a  gun,  because  they  would  not  waken  the  people 

faster  than  they  could  master  them; 
but  the  fire  began  to  waken  them  fast 
enough,  and  our  fellows  were  glad  to 
keep  a  little  together  in  bodies ;  for 
the  fire  grew  so  raging,  all  the  houses 
,  being  made  of  light  combustible  stuff, 


"THE    COW    WENT    OX    BEFORE    THEM"    (p.   343). 


that  they  could  hardly  bear  the  street  between  them  ;  and  their  business  was  to 
follow  the  fire,  for  the  surer  execution.  As  fast  as  the  fire  either  forced  the  people 
out  of  those  houses  which  were  burning,  or  frightened  them  out  of  others,  our 
people  were  ready  at  their  doors  to  knock  them  on  the  head,  still  calling  and 
hallooing  one  to  another  to  remember  Tom  Jeffry. 

While  this  was  doing,  I  must  confess  I  was  very  uneasy,  and  especially  when 
I  saw  the  flames  of  the  town,  which,  it  being  night,  seemed  to  be  just  by  me. 
My  nephew,  the  captain,  who  was  roused  by  his  men,  seeing  such  a  fire,  was 
very  uneasy,  not  knowing  what  the  matter  was,  or  what  danger  I  was  in, 
especially  hearing  the  guns  too,  for  by  this  time  they  began  to  use  their  fire-arms  ; 
a  thousand  thoughts  oppressed  his  mind  concerning  me  and  the  supercargo,  what 


On  the  March.  345 

would  become  of  us ;  and  at  last,  though  he  could  ill  spare  any  more  men,  yet 
not  knowing  what  exigence  we  might  be  in,  he  takes  another  boat,  and  with 
thirteen  men  and  himself  comes  ashore  to  me. 

He  was  surprised  to  see  me  and  the  supercargo  in  the  boat  with  no  more 
than  two  men ;  and  though  he  was  glad  that  we  were  well,  yet  he  was  in  the 
same  impatience  with  us  to  know  what  was  doing ;  for  the  noise  continued,  and 
the  flame  increased ;  in  short,  it  was  next  to  an  impossibility  for  any  men  in  the 
world  to  restrain  their  curiosity  to  know  what  had  happened,  or  their  concern  for 
the  safety  of  the  men :  in  a  word,  the  captain  told  me  he  would  go  and  help  his 
men,  let  what  would  come.  I  argued  with  him,  as  I  did  before  with  the  men, 
the  safety  of  the  ship,  the  danger  of  the  voyage,  the  interest  of  the  owners  and 
merchants,  etc.,  and  told  him  I  and  the  two  men  would  go,  and  only  see  if  we 
could  at  a  distance  learn  what  was  likely  to  be  the  event,  and  come  back  and 
tell  him.  It  was  in  vain  to  talk  to  my  nephew,  as  it  was  to  talk  to  the  rest 
before ;  he  would  go,  he  said ;  and  he  only  wished  he  had  left  but  ten  men  in 
the  ship,  for  he  could  not  think  of  having  his  men  lost  for  want  of  help  ;  he  had 
rather  lose  the  ship,  the  voyage,  and  his  life,  and  all ;   and  away  he  went. 

I  was  no  more  able  to  stay  behind  now  than  I  was  to  persuade  them  not  to 
go ;  so,  in  short,  the  captain  ordered  two  men  to  row  back  the  pinnace,  and 
fetch  twelve  men  more,  leaving  the  long-boat  at  an  anchor ;  and  that,  when  they 
came  back,  six  men  should  keep  the  two  boats,  and  six  more  come  after  us ; 
so  that  he  left  only  sixteen  men  in  the  ship  ;  for  the  whole  ship's  company  consisted 
of  sixty-five  men,  whereof  two  were  lost  in  the  late  quarrel  which  brought  this 
mischief  on. 

Being  now  on  the  march,  you  may  be  sure  we  felt  little  of  the  ground  we 
trod  on ;  and  being  guided  by  the  fire,  we  kept  no  path,  but  went  directly  to 
the  place  of  the  flame.  If  the  noise  of  the  guns  was  surprising  to  us  before,  the 
cries  of  the  poor  people  were  now  quite  of  another  nature,  and  filled  us  with 
horror.  I  must  confess  I  was  never  at  the  sacking  of  a  city,  or  at  taking  a  town  by 
storm.  I  had  heard  of  Oliver  Cromwell  taking  Drogheda,  in  Ireland,  and  killing 
man,  woman,  and  child ;  and  I  had  read  of  Count  Tilly  sacking  the  city  of 
Magdebourg,  and  cutting  the  throats  of  twenty-two  thousand,  of  all  sexes ;  but  I 
never  had  an  idea  of  the  thing  itself  before,  nor  is  it  possible  to  describe  it,  or 
the  horror  that  was  upon  our  minds  at  hearing  it.  However,  we  went  on,  and  at 
length  came  to  the  town,  though  there  was  no  entering  the  streets  of  it  for  the  fire. 
The  first  object  we  met  with  was  the  ruins  of  a  hut  or  house,  or  rather  the 
ashes  of  it,  for  the  house  was  consumed ;  and  just  before  it,  plainly  now  to  be 
seen  by  the  light  of  the  fire,  lay  four  men  and  three  women  killed,  and,  as  we 
thought,  one  or  two  more  lay  in  the  heap  among  the  fire ;  in  short,  there  were 
such  instances  of  rage,  altogether  barbarous,  and  of  a  fury  something  beyond  what 
was  human,  that  we  thought  it  impossible  our  men  could  be  guilty  of  it ;  or,  if 
they  were  the  authors  of  it,  we  thought  they  ought  to  be  every  one  of  them  put 
to  the  worst  of  deaths.  But  this  was  not  all :  we  saw  the  fire  increased  forward, 
and   the   cry  went  on  just  as  the  fire   went  on ;    so  that  we  were  in  the  utmost 


346  Robinson  Crusoe. 

confusion.  We  advanced  a  little  way  farther,  and  behold,  to  our  astonishment, 
three  naked  women,  and  crying  in  the  most  dreadful  manner,  came  flying  as  if 
they  had  wings,  and  after  them  sixteen  or  seventeen  men,  natives,  in  the  same 
terror  and  consternation,  with  three  of  our  English  butchers  in  the  rear,  who, 
when  they  could  not  overtake  them,  fired  in  among  them,  and  one  that  was  killed 
by  their  shot  fell  down  in  our  sight.  When  the  rest  saw  us,  believing  us  to  be 
their  enemies,  and  that  we  would  murder  them  as  well  as  those  that  pursued 
them,  they  set  up  a  most  dreadful  shriek,  especially  the  women ;  and  two  of 
them  fell  down,  as  if  already  dead,  with  the  fright. 

My  very  soul  shrunk  within  me,  and  my  blood  ran  chili  in  my  veins,  when  I 
saw  this ;  and  I  believe,  had  the  three  English  sailors  that  pursued  them  come 
on,  I  had  made  our  men  kill  them  all ;  however,  we  took  some  means  to  let  the 
poor  flying  creatures  know  that  we  would  not  hurt  them ;  and  immediately  they 
came  up  to  us,  and  kneeling  down,  with  their  hands  lifted  up,  made  piteous 
lamentation  to  us  to  save  them,  which  we  let  them  know  we  would ;  whereupon 
they  crept  together  in  a  huddle  close  behind  us,  as  for  protection.  I  left  my  men 
drawn  up  together,  and,  charging  them  to  hurt  nobody,  but,  if  possible,  to  get  at 
some  of  our  people,  and  see  what  devil  it  was  possessed  them,  and  what  they 
intended  to  do,  and  to  command  them  off ;  assuring  them  that  if  they  stayed  till 
daylight  they  would  have  a  hundred  thousand  men  about  their  ears :  I  say  I  left 
them,  and  went  among  those  flying  people,  taking  only  two  of  our  men  with  me ; 
and  there  was,  indeed,  a  piteous  spectacle  among  them.  Some  of  them  had  their 
feet  terribly  burned  with  trampling  and  running  through  the  fire ;  others  their 
hands  burned ;  one  of  the  women  had  fallen  down  in  the  fire,  and  was  very 
much  burned  before  she  could  get  out  again  ;  and  two  or  three  of  the  men  had 
cuts  in  their  backs  and  thighs,  from  our  men  pursuing ;  and  another  was  shot 
through  the  body,  and  died  while  I  was  there. 

I  would  fain  have  learned  what  the  occasion  of  all  this  was ;  but  I  could  not 
understand  one  word  they  said ;  though,  by  signs,  I  perceived  some  of  them 
knew  not  what  was  the  occasion  themselves.  I  was  so  terrified  in  my  thoughts 
at  this  outrageous  attempt,  that  I  could  not  stay  there,  but  went  back  to  my  own 
men,  and  resolved  to  go  into  the  middle  of  the  town,  through  the  fire,  or  what- 
ever might  be  in  the  way,  and  put  an  end  to  it,  cost  what  it  would ;  accordingly, 
as  I  came  back  to  my  men,  I  told  them  my  resolution,  and  commanded  them  to 
follow  me,  when,  at  the  very  moment,  came  four  of  our  men,  with  the  boatswain 
«it  their  head,  roving  over  heaps  of  bodies  they  had  killed,  all  covered  with  blood 
and  dust,  as  if  they  wanted  more  people  to  massacre,  when  our  men  hallooed  to 
them  as  loud  as  they  could  halloo  ;  and  with  much  ado  one  of  them  made  them 
hear,  so  that  they  knew  who  we  were,  and  came  up  to  us. 

As  soon  as  the  boatswain  saw  us,  he  set  up  a  halloo  like  a  shout  of  triumph, 
for  having,  as  he  thought,  more  help  come ;  and,  without  waiting  to  hear  me, 
"Captain,"  says  he,  "noble  captain!  I  am  glad  vou  are  come;  we  have  not 
half  done  yet.  Villainous,  hell-hound  dogs!  I'll  kill  as  many  of  them  as  poor 
Tom  has  hairs  upon  his  head :   we  have  sworn  to  spare  none  of  them ;   we'll  root 


Return  to  the  Boat.  347 

out  the  very  nation  of  them  from  the  earth."  And  thus  he  ran  on,  out  of  breath, 
too,  with  action,  and  would  not  give  us  leave  to  speak  a  word. 

At  last,  raising  my  voice,  that  I  might  silence  him  a  little,  "Barbarous  dog!" 
said  I,  "  what  are  you  doing?  I  won't  have  one  creature  touched  more,  upon 
pain  of  death :  I  charge  you,  upon  your  life,  to  stop  your  hands,  and  stand  still 
here,  or  you  are  a  dead  man  this  minute."  "Why,  sir,"  says  he,  "do  you  know 
what  you  do,  or  what  they  have  done?  If  you  want  a  reason  for  what  we  have 
done,  come  hither."  And  with  that  he  showed  me  the  poor  fellow  hanging,  with 
his  throat  cut. 

I  confess  I  was  urged  then  myself,  and  at  another  time  would  have  been 
forward  enough ;  but  I  thought  they  had  carried  their  rage  too  far,  and  remem- 
bered Jacob's  words  to  his  sons  Simeon  and  Levi :  "  Cursed  be  their  anger,  for 
it,  was  fierce ;  and  their  wrath,  for  it  was  cruel."  But  I  had  now  a  new  task 
upon  my  hands ;  for  when  the  men  I  carried  with  me  saw  the  sight,  as  I  had 
done,  I  had  as  much  to  do  to  restrain  them  as  I  should  have  had  with  the 
others ;  nay,  my  nephew  himself  fell  in  with  them,  and  told  me,  in  their  hearing, 
that  he  was  only  concerned  for  fear  of  the  men  being  overpowered ;  and  as  to 
the  people,  he  thought  not  one  of  them  ought  to  live  ;  for  they  had  all  glutted 
themselves  with  the  murder  of  the  poor  man,  and  that  they  ought  to  be  used 
like  murderers.  Upon  these  words,  away  ran  eight  of  my  men,  with  the  boatswain 
and  his  crew,  to  complete  their  bloody  work ;  and  I,  seeing  it  quite  out  of  my 
power  to  restrain  them,  came  away  pensive  and  sad ;  for  I  could  not  bear  the 
sight,  much  less  the  horrible  noise  and  cries  of  the  poor  wretches  that  fell  into 
their  hands.- 

I  got  nobody  to  come  back  with  me  but  the  supercargo  and  two  men,  and 
with  these  walked  back  to  the  boat.  It  was  a  very  great  piece  of  folly  in  me,  I 
confess,  to  venture  back  as  it  were  alone ;  for  as  it  began  now  to  be  almost  day, 
and  the  alarm  had  run  over  the  county,  there  stood  about  forty  men  armed  with 
lances  and  bows,  at  the  little  place  where  the  twelve  or  thirteen  houses  stood, 
mentioned  before ;  but  by  accident  I  missed  the  place,  and  came  directly  to  the 
seaside ;  and  by  the  time  I  got  to  the  seaside,  it  was  broad  day :  immediately  I 
took  the  pinnace  and  went  on  board,  and  sent  her  back  to  assist  the  men  in 
what  might  happen. 

I  observed,  about  the  time  that  I  came  to  the  boat-side,  that  the  fire  was 
pretty  well  out,  and  the  noise  abated ;  but  in  about  half  an  hour  after  I  got  on 
board,  I  heard  a  volley  of  our  men's  fire-arms,  and  saw  a  great  smoke :  this,  as  I 
understood  afterwards,  was  our  men  falling  upon  the  men  who,  as  I  said,  stood 
at  the  few  houses  on  the  way,  of  whom  they  killed  sixteen  or  seventeen,  and  set 
all  the  houses  on  fire,  but  did  not  meddle  with  the  women  or  children. 

By  the  time  the  men  got  to  shore  again  with  the  pinnace,  our  men  began  to 
appear;  they  came  dropping  in,  not  in  two  bodies  as  they  went,  but  straggling  here 
and  there  in  such  a  manner,  that  a  small  force  of  resolute  men  might  have  cut 
them  all  off.  But  the  dread  of  them  was  upon  the  whole  country ;  and  the  men 
were  surprised,  and  so  frightened,  that  I  believe  a  hundred  of  them  would  have 


348  Robinson  Crusoe. 

fled  at  the  sight  of  but  five  of  our  men ;  nor  in  all  this  terrible  action  was  there 
a  man  that  made  any  considerable  defense ;  they  were  so  surprised  between 
the  terror  of  the  fire  and  the  sudden  attack  of  our  men  in  the  dark,  that  they 
knew  not  which  way  to  turn  themselves ;  for  if  they  fled  one  way,  they  were 
met  by  one  party ;  if  back  again,  by  another :  so  that  they  were  everywhere 
knocked  down  ;  nor  did  any  of  our  men  receive  the  least  hurt,  except  one  that 
sprained  his  foot,  and  another  that  had  one  of  his  hands  burned. 

I  was  very  angry  with  my  nephew,  the  captain,  and  indeed  with  all  the  men, 
in  my  mind,  but  with  him  in  particular,  as  well  for  his  acting  so  out  of  his  duty 
as  commander  of  the  ship,  and  having  the  charge  of  the  voyage  upon  him,  as  in 
his  prompting,  rather  than  cooling,  the  rage  of  his  blind  men,  in  so  bloody  and 
cruel  an  enterprise.  My  nephew  answered  me  very  respectfully,  but  told  me  that 
when  he  saw  the  body  of  the  poor  seaman  whom  they  had  murdered  in  so  cruel 
and  barbarous'  a  manner,  he  was  not  master  of  himself,  neither  could  he  govern 
his  passion :  he  owned  he  should  not  have  done  so,  as  he  was  commander  of 
the  ship  ;  but  as  he  was  a  man,  and  nature  moved  him,  he  could  not  bear  it. 
As  for  the  rest  of  the  men,  they  were  not  subject  to  me  at  all,  and  they  knew  it 
well  enough ;    so  they  took  no  notice  of  my  dislike. 

The  next  day  we  set  sail,  so  we  never  heard  any  more  of  it.  Our  men  differed 
in  the  account  of  the  number  they  had  killed  ;  but  according  to  the  best  of  their 
accounts  put  all  together,  they  killed  or  destroyed  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
people — men,  women,  and  children,  and  left  not  a  house  standing  in  the  town. 
As  for  the  poor  fellow  Tom  Jeffry,  as  he  was  quite  dead  (for  his  throat  was  so  cut 
that  his  head  was  half  off),  it  would  do  him  no  service  to  bring  him  away;  so 
they  only  took  him  down  from  the  tree  where  he  was  hanging  by  one  hand. 

However  just  our  men  thought  this  action,  I  was  against  them  in  it,  and  I 
always  after  that  time  told  them  God  would  blast  the  voyage ;  for  I  looked 
upon  all  the  blood  they  shed  that  night  to  be  murder  in  them.  For  though  it  is" 
true  that  they  had  killed  Tom  Jeffry,  yet  Jeffry  was  the  aggressor,  had  broken  the 
truce,  and  had  violated  a  young  woman  of  theirs,  who  came  down  to  them 
innocently,  and  on  the  faith  of  the  public  capitulation. 

The  boatswain  defended  this  quarrel  when  we  were  afterwards  on  board.  He 
said  it  was  true  that  we  seemed  to  break  the  truce,  but  really  had  not ;  and  that 
the  war  was  begun  the  night  before  by  the  natives  themselves,  who  had  shot  at 
us  and  killed  one  of  our  men  without  any  just  provocation  ;  so  that  as  we  were 
in  a  capacity  to  fight  them  now,  we  might  also  be  in  a  capacity  to  do  ourselves 
justice  upon  them  in  an  extraordinary  manner ;  that  though  the  poor  man  had 
taken  a  little  liberty  with  the  wench,  he  ought  not  to  have  been  murdered,  and 
that  in  such  a  villainous  manner ;  and  that  they  did  nothing  but  what  was  just, 
and  what  the  laws  of  God  allowed  to  be  done  to  murderers. 

One  would  think  this  should  have  been  enough  to  have  warned  us  against 
going  on  shore  amongst  heathens  and  barbarians ;  but  it  is  impossible  to  make 
mankind  wise  but  at  their  own  expense ;  and  their  experience  seems  to  be  always 
of  most  use  to  them  when  it  is  dearest  bought. 


In  the  Gulf  of  Persia. 


349 


We  were  now  bound  to  the  Gulf  of 
Persia,  and  from  thence  to  the  coast 
of  Coromandel,  only  to  touch  at  Surat ; 
but  the  chief  of  the  supercargo's  design 
lay  at  the  Bay  of  Bengal ;  where,  if  he 
missed  his  business  outward-bound,  he 
was  to  go  up  to  China,  and  return  to 
the  coast  as  he  came  home. 

The  first  disaster  that  befell  us  was 
in  the  Gulf  of  Persia,  where  five  of  our 
men,  venturing  on  shore  on  the  Arabian 
side  of  the  gulf,  were  surrounded  by  the 
Arabians,  and  either  all  killed  or  carried 
away  into  slavery ;   the  rest  of  the  boat's 
crew    were    not    able     to    rescue 
them,  and   had   but   just    time    to 
get   off    their   boat.     I    began   to 
upbraid  them  with  the  just  retri- 
bution   of    Heaven    in    this  case ; 
but    the    boatswain    verv    warmlv 


mm 


"  HE    SHOWED    ME    THE    POOR    FELLOW    HANGING"    (/.   347). 


350  Robinson  Crusoe. 

told  me,  he  thought  I  went  further  in  my  censures  than  I  could  show  any 
warrant  for  in  Scripture ;  and  referred  to  Luke  xiii.  4,  where  our  Saviour 
intimates  that  those  men  on  whom  the  Tower  of  Siloam  fell  were  not  sinners 
above  all  the  Galileans :  but  that  which  put  me  to  silence  in  the  case  was,  that 
not  one  of  these  five  men  who  were  now  lost  were  of  those  who  went  on 
shore  to  the  massacre  of  Madagascar — so  I  always  called  it,  though  our  men 
could  not  bear  to  hear  the  word  massacre  with  any  patience. 

But  my  frequent  preaching  to  them  on  this  subject  had  worse  consequences 
than  I  expected ;  and  the  boatswain,  who  had  been  the  head  of  the  attempt, 
came  up  boldly  to  me  one  time,  and  told  me  he  found  that  I  brought  that  affair 
continually  upon  the  stage ;  that  I  made  unjust  reflections  upon  it,  and  had  used 
the  men  very  ill  on  that  account,  and  himself  in  particular ;  that  as  I  was  but  a 
passenger,  and  had  no  command  in  the  ship,  or  concern  in  the  voyage,  they  were 
not  obliged  to  bear  it ;  that  they  did  not  know  but  I  might  have  some  ill 
design  in  my  head,  and  perhaps  to  call  them  to  an  account  for  it  when  they 
came  to  England  ;  and  that,  therefore,  unless  I  would  resolve  to  have  done  with 
it,  and  also  not  to  concern  myself  any  further  with  him,  or  any  of  his  affairs,  he 
would  leave  the  ship ;  for  he  did  not  think  it  safe  to  sail  with  me  among 
\hem. 

I  heard  him  patiently  enough  till  he  had  done,  and  then  told  him  that  I 
confessed  I  had  all  along  opposed  the  massacre  of  Madagascar,  and  that  I  had, 
on  all  occasions,  spoken  my  mind  freely  about  it,  though  not  more  upon  him 
than  any  of  the  rest ;  that  as  to  having  no  command  in  the  ship,  that  was  true ; 
nor  did  I  exercise  any  authority,  only  took  the  liberty  of  speaking  my  mind  in 
things  which  publicly  concerned  us  all ;  and  what  concern  I  had  in  the  voyage 
was  none  of  his  business ;  that  I  was  a  considerable  owner  in  the  ship.  In  that 
claim,  I  conceived  I  had  a  right  to  speak  even  further  than  I  had  done,  and 
would  not  be  accountable  to  him  or  any  one  else,  and  began  to  be  a  little  warm 
with  him.  He  made  but  little  reply  to  me  at  that  time,  and  I  thought  the  affair 
had  been  over.  We  were  at  this  time  in  the  road  at  Bengal ;  and  being  willing 
to  see  the  place,  I  went  on  shore  with  the  supercargo,  in  the  ship's  boat,  to 
divert  myself ;  and  towards  evening  was  preparing  to  go  on  board,  when  one  of 
the  men  came  to  me,  and  told  me  he  would  not  have  me  trouble  myself  to  come 
down  to  the  boat,  for  they  had  orders  not  to  carry  me  on  board  any  more. 
Any  one  may  guess  what  a  surprise  I  was  in  at  so  insolent  a  message ;  and  I 
asked  the  man,  who  bade  him  deliver  that  message  to  me.  He  told  me  the 
coxswain.  I  said  no  more  to  the  fellow,  but  bade  him  let  them  know  he  had 
delivered  his  message,  and  that  I  had  given  him  no  answer  to  it. 

I  immediately  went  and  found  out  the  supercargo,  and  told  him  the  story, 
adding,  what  I  presently  foresaw,  that  there  would  be  a  mutiny  in  the  ship ;  and 
entreated  him  to  go  immediately  on  board  the  ship  in  an  Indian  boat,  and 
acquaint  the  captain  of  it.  But  I  might  have  spared  this  intelligence,  for  before  I 
had  spoken  to  him  on  shore,  the  matter  was  effected  on  board.  The  boatswain, 
the  gunner,  the  carpenter,  and  all  the  inferior  officers,  as  soon   as   I  was  gone   off 


Anger  of  the  Men.  351 

in  the  boat,  came  up,  and  desired  to  speak  with  the  captain ;  and  there  the 
boatswain,  making  a  long  harangue,  and  repeating  all  he  had  said  to  me,  told  the 
captain  in  a  few  words,  that  as  I  was  now  gone  peaceably  on  shore,  they  were 
loth  to  use  any  violence  with  me,  which,  if  I  had  not  gone  on  shore,  they 
would  otherwise  have  done,  to  oblige  me  to  have  gone.  They  therefore  thought 
fit  to  tell  him,  that  as  they  shipped  themselves  to  serve  in  the  ship  under  his 
command,  they  would  perform  it  well  and  faithfully ;  but  if  I  would  not  quit  the 
ship  or  the  captain  oblige  me  to  quit  it,  they  would  all  leave  the  ship,  and  sail 
no  farther  with  him ;  and  at  that  word  all,  he  turned  his  face  towards  the  main- 
mast, which  was,  it  seems,  the  signal  agreed  on  between  them,  at  which,  the 
seamen,  being  got  together  there,  cried  out,  "One  and  all !  one  and  all!" 

My  nephew,  the  captain,  was  a  man  of  spirit  and  of  great  presence  of  mind ; 
and  though  he  was  surprised,  you  may  be  sure,  at  the  thing,  yet  he  told  them 
calmly  that  he  would  consider  of  the  matter ;  but  that  he  could  do  nothing  in  it 
till  he  had  spoken  to  me  about  it.  He  used  some  arguments  with  them,  to  show 
them  the  unreasonableness  and  injustice  of  the  thing ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain ; 
they  swore,  and  shook  hands  round  before  his  face,  that  they  would  all  go  on 
shore,  unless  he  would  engage  to  them  not  to  suffer  me  to  come  any  more  on 
board  the  ship. 

This  was  a  hard  article  upon  him,  who  knew  his  obligation  to  me,  and  did 
not  know  how  I  might  take  it ;  so  he  began  to  talk  smartly  to  them ;  told  them 
that  I  was  a  very  considerable  owner  of  the  ship,  and  that,  in  justice,  he  could 
not  put  me  out  of  my  own  house ;  that  this  was  next  door  to  serving  me  as  the 
famous  pirate  Kidd  had  done,  who  made  a  mutiny  in  the  ship,  set  the  captain  on 
shore  on  an  uninhabited  island,  and  ran  away  with  the  ship ;  that  let  them  go 
into  what  ship  they  would,  if  ever  they  came  to  England  again,  it  would  cost 
them  very  dear ;  that  the  ship  was  mine,  and  that  he  could  not  put  me  out  of  it ; 
and  that  he  would  rather  lose  the  ship,  and  the  voyage  too,  than  disoblige  me  so 
much ;  so  they  might  do  as  they  pleased.  However,  he  would  go  on  shore  and 
talk  with  me,  and  invited  the  boatswain  to  go  with  him,  and  perhaps  they  might 
accommodate  the  matter  with  me.  But  they  all  rejected  the  proposal,  and  said 
they  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  me  any  more ;  and  if  I  came  on  board,  they 
would  all  go  ashore.  "  Well,"  said  the  captain,  "  if  you  are  all  of  this  mind,  let 
me  go  on  shore  and  talk  with  him."  So  away  he  came  to  me  with  this  account, 
a  little  after  the  message  had  been  brought  to  me  from  the  coxswain. 

I  was  very  glad  to  see  my  nephew,  I  must  confess ;  for  I  was  not  without 
apprehensions  that  they  would  confine  him  by  violence,  set  sail,  and  run  away 
with  the  ship;  and  then  I  had  been  stripped  naked  in  a  remote  country,  having 
nothing  to  help  myself;  in  short,  I  had  been  in  a  worse  case  than  when  I  was 
alone  in  the  island.  But  they  had  not  come  to  that  length,  it  seems,  to  my 
satisfaction  ;  and  when  my  nephew  told  me  what  they  had  said  to  him,  and  how 
they  had  sworn  and  shook  hands,  that  they  would,  one  and  all,  leave  the  ship,  if 
I  was  suffered  to  come  on  board,  I  told  him  he  should  not  be  concerned  at  it  at 
all,  for  I  would  stay  on  shore.      I   only  desired  he  would  take  care  and  send  me 


352  Robinson  Crusoe. 

all  my  necessary  things  on  shore,  and  leave  me  a  sufficient  sum  of  money,  and  I 
would  find  my  way  to  England  as  well  as  I  could. 

This  was  a  heavy  piece  of  news  to  my  nephew,  but  there  was  no  way  to  help 
it  but  to  comply ;  so,  in  short,  he  went  on  board  the  ship  again,  and  satisfied 
the  men  that  his  uncle  had  yielded  to  their  importunity,  and  had  sent  for  his 
goods  from  on  board  the  ship ;  so  that  the  matter  was  over  in  a  few  hours,  the 
men  returned  to  their  duty,  and  I  began  to  consider  what  course  I  should  steer. 

I  was  now  alone  in  the  most  remote  part  of  the  world,  as  I  think  I  may  call 
it,  for  I  was  near  three  thousand  leagues  by  sea  farther  off  from  England  than  I 
was  at  my  island ;  only,  it  is  true,  I  might  travel  here  by  land  over  the  Great 
Mogul's  country  to  Surat,  might  go  from  thence  to  Bassora  by  sea,  up  the  Gulf 
of  Persia,  and  take  the  way  of  the  caravans,  over  the  desert  of  Arabia,  to  Aleppo 
and  Scanderoon :  from  thence  by  sea  again  to  Italy,  and  so  overland  into  France ; 
and  this  put  together,  might  at  least  be  a  full  diameter  of  the  globe  or  more. 

I  had  another  way  before  me,  which  was  to  wait  for  some  English  ships, 
which  were  coming  to  Bengal  from  Achin,  on  the  Island  of  Sumatra,  and  get 
passage  on  board  them  for  England.  But  as  I  came  hither  without  any  concern 
with  the  East  India  Company,  so  it  would  be  difficult  to  go  from  hence  without 
their  license,  unless  with  great  favor  of  the  captains  of  the  ships,  or  the  company's 
factors ;   and  to  both  I  was  an  utter  stranger. 

Here  I  had  the  mortification  to  see  the  ship  set  sail  without  me;  a  treatment 
I  think  a  man  in  my  circumstances  scarcely  ever  met  with,  except  from  pirates 
running  away  with  a  ship,  and  setting  those  that  would  not  agree  with  their 
villainy  on  shore.  Indeed,  this  was  next  door  to  it  both  ways ;  however,  my 
nephew  left  me  two  servants,  or  rather,  one  companion  and  one  servant ;  the  first 
was  clerk  to  the  purser,  whom  he  engaged  to  go  with  me,  and  the  other  was  his 
own  servant.  I  took  me  also  a  good  lodging  in  the  house  of  an  Englishwoman, 
where  several  merchants  lodged,  some  French,  two  Italians,  or  rather  Jews,  and 
one  Englishman.  Here  I  was  handsomely  enough  entertained ;  and  that  I  might 
not  be  said  to  run  rashly  upon  anything,  I  stayed  here  above  nine  months, 
considering  what  course  to  take,  and  how  to  manage  myself.  I  had  some  English 
goods  with  me  of  value,  and  a  considerable  sum  of  money ;  my  nephew  furnishing 
me  with  a  thousand  pieces  of  eight,  and  a  letter  of  credit  for  more,  if  I  had 
occasion,  that  I  might  not  be  straitened,  whatever  might  happen. 

I  quickly  disposed  of  my  goods  to  advantage ;  and,  as  I  originally  intended,  I 
bought  here  some  very  good  diamonds,  which,  of  all  other  things,  were  the  most 
proper  for  me  in  my  present  circumstances,  because  I  could  always  carry  my  whole 
estate  about  me. 

After  a  long  stay  here,  and  many  proposals  made  for  my  return  to  England, 
but  none  falling  out  to  my  mind,  the  English  merchant  who  lodged  with  me,  and 
whom  I  had  contracted  an  intimate  acquaintance  with,  came  to  me  one  morning : 
"  Countryman,"  says  he,  "  I  have  a  project  to  communicate  to  you,  which,  as  it 
suits  with  my  thoughts,  may,  for  aught  I  know,  suit  with  yours  also,  when  you 
shall  have  thoroughly  considered  it.     Here  we  are  posted,  you  by  accident,  and  I 


Various  Wanderings.  353 

by  my  own  choice,  in  a  part  of  the  world  very  remote  from  our  own  country ; 
but  it  is  in  a  country  where,  by  us,  who  understand  trade  and  business,  a  great 
deal  of  money  is  to  be  got.  If  you  will  put  one  thousand  pounds  to  my  one 
thousand  pounds,  we  will  hire  a  ship  here,  the  first  we  can  get  to  our  minds ;  you 
shall  be  captain,  I'll  be  merchant,  and  we'll  go  a  trading  voyage  to  China ;  for 
what  should  we  stand  still  for?  The  whole  world  is  in  motion,  rolling  round  and 
round ;  all  the  creatures  of  God,  heavenly  bodies  and  earthly,  are  busy  and 
diligent ;  why  should  we  be  idle  ?  There  are  no  drones  in  the  world  but  men : 
why  should  we  be  of  that  number?  " 

I  liked  this  proposal  very  well ;  and  the  more  so  because  it  seemed  to  be 
expressed  with  so  much  good-will,  and  in  so  friendly  a  manner.  I  will  not  say 
but  that  I  might,  by  my  loose,  unhinged  circumstances,  be  the  fitter  to  embrace 
a  proposal  for  trade,  or  indeed,  anything  else ;  otherwise,  trade  was  none  of  my 
element.  However,  I  might  perhaps  say  with  some  truth,  that  if  trade  was  not 
my  element,  rambling  was ;  and  no  proposal  for  seeing  any  part  of  the  world  which 
I  had  never  seen  before  could  possibly  come  amiss  to  me. 

It  was,  however,  some  time  before  we  could  get  a  ship  to  our  minds,  and 
when  we  had  got  a  vessel,  it  was  not  easy  to  get  English  sailors ;  that  is  to  say, 
so  many  as  were  necessary  to  govern  the  voyage  and  manage  the  sailors  which 
we  should  pick  up  there.  After  some  time  we  got  a  mate,  a  boatswain,  and  a 
gunner,  English ;  a  Dutch  carpenter,  and  three  foremast  men.  With  these  we 
found  we  could  do  well  enough,  having  Indian  seamen,  such  as  they  were,  to 
make  up. 

There  are  so  many  travelers  who  have  written  a  history  of  their  voyages  and 
travels  this  way,  that  it  would  be  very  little  diversion  to  anybody  to  give  a  long 
account  of  the  places  we  went  to,  and  the  people  who  inhabit  there ;  these  things 
I  leave  to  others,  and  refer  the  reader  to  those  journals  and  travels  of  English- 
men, of  which  many  I  find  are  published,  and  more  promised  every  day ;  it  is 
enough  for  me  to  tell  you  that  we  made  this  voyage  to  Achin,  in  the  island  of 
Sumatra,  and  from  thence  to  Siam,  where  we  exchanged  some  of  our  wares  for 
opium  and  some  arrack  ;  the  first  a  commodity  which  bears  a  great  price  among 
the  Chinese,  and  which,  at  that  time,  was  much  wanted  there.  In  a  word,  we 
went  up  to  Suskan,  made  a  very  great  voyage,  were  eight  months  out,  and  re- 
turned to  Bengal ;  and  I  was  very  well  satisfied  with  my  adventure.  I  observe 
that  our  people  in  England  often  admire  how  officers,  which  the  Company  send 
into  India,  and  the  merchants  which  generally  stay  there,  get  such  very  great 
estates  as  they  do,  and  sometimes  come  home  worth  sixty  or  seventy  thousand 
pounds  at  a  time ;  but  it  is  no  wonder,  or  at  least  we  shall  see  so  much  farther 
into  it,  when  we  consider  the  innumerable  ports  and  places  where  they  have  a 
free  commerce,  that  it  will  be  none  ;  and  much  less  it  will  be  so  when  we  con- 
sider that  at  those  places  and  ports  where  the  English  ships  come,  there  is  such 
great  and  constant  demands  for  the  growth  of  all  other  countries,  that  there  is  a 
certain  vent  for  the  returns,  as  well  as  a  market  abroad  for  the  goods  carried 
out. 


354  Robinson  Crusoe. 

In  short,  we  made  a  very  good  voyage,  and  I  got  so  much  money  by  my 
first  adventure,  and  such  an  insight  into  the  method  of  getting  more,  that  had  I 
been  twenty  years  younger,  I  should  have  been  tempted  to  have  stayed  here,  and 
sought  no  farther  for  making  any  fortune ;  but  what  was  all  this  to  a  man 
upwards  of  threescore,  that  was  rich  enough,  and  came  abroad  more  in  obedience 
to  a  restless  desire  of  seeing  the  world  than  a  covetous  desire  of  gaining  by  it? 
And,  indeed,  I  think  it  is  with  great  justice  I  now  call  it  restless  desire,  for  it 
was  so.  When  I  was  at  home,  I  was  restless  to  go  abroad ;  and  when  I  was 
abroad,  I  was  restless  to  be  at  home.  I  say,  what  was  this  gain  to  me?  I  was 
rich  enough  already,  nor  had  I  any  uneasy  desires  about  getting  more  money ; 
and  therefore  the  profit  of  the  voyage  to  me  was  of  no  great  force  for  the  prompting 
me  forward  to  further  undertakings :  hence,  I  thought  that  by  this  voyage  I  had 
made  no  progress  at  all,  because  I  was  come  back,  as  I  might  call  it,  to  the  place 
from  whence  I  came,  as  to  a  home :  whereas,  my  eye,  like  that  which  Solomon 
speaks  of,  was  never  satisfied  with  seeing.  I  was  come  into  a  part  of  the  world 
which  I  was  never  in  before,  and  that  part,  in  particular,  which  I  had  heard  much  of, 
and  was  resolved  to  see  as  much  of  it  as  I  could :  and  then  I  thought  I  might  say 
I  had  seen  all  the  world  that  was  worth  seeing. 

But  my  fellow-traveler  and  I  had  different  notions :  I  do  not  name  this  to 
insist  on  my  own,  for  I  acknowledge  his  were  the  most  just,  and  the  more  suited 
to  the  end  of  a  merchant's  life :  who,  when  he  is  abroad  upon  adventures,  is  wise 
to  stick  to  that,  as  the  best  thing  for  him,  which  he  is  likely  to  get  the  most 
money  by.  My  new  friend  kept  himself  to  the  nature  of  the  thing,  and  would 
have  been  content  to  have  gone  like  a  carrier's  horse,  always  to  the  same  inn, 
backward  and  forward,  provided  he  could,  as  he  called  it,  find  his  account  in  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  mine  was  the  motion  of  a  mad,  rambling  boy,  that  never 
cares  to  see  a  thing  twice  over.  But  this  was  not  all :  I  had  a  kind  of  impatience 
upon  me  to  be  nearer  home,  and  yet  the  most  unsettled  resolution  imaginable 
which  way  to  go.  In  the  interval  of  these  consultations,  my  friend,  who  was 
always  upon  the  search  for  business,  proposed  another  voyage  to  me  among  the 
Spice  Islands,  and  to  bring  home  a  loading  of  cloves  from  the  Manillas,  or  there- 
abouts ;  places,  indeed,  where  the  Dutch  trade,  but  islands  belonging  partly  to  the 
Spaniards ;  though  we  went  not  so  far,  but  to  some  other,  where  they  have  not 
the  whole  power,  as  they  have  at  Batavia,  Ceylon,  etc. 

We  were  not  long  in  preparing  for  this  voyage  ;  the  chief  difficulty  was  in 
bringing  me  to  come  into  it ;  however,  at  last,  nothing  else  offering,  and  finding 
that  really  stirring  about  and  trading,  the  profit  being  so  great,  and,  as  I  may  say, 
certain,  had  more  pleasure  in  it,  and  had  more  satisfaction  to  my  mind,  than 
sitting  still,  which,  to  me  especially,  was  the  unhappiest  part  of  life,  I  resolved  on 
this  voyage  too,  which  we  made  very  successfully,  touching  at  Borneo,  and  several 
islands  whose  names  I  do  not  remember,  and  came  home  in  about  five  months. 
We  sold  our  spice,  which  was  chiefly  cloves  and  nutmegs,  to  the  Persian  merchants, 
who  carried  them  away  to  the  gulf ;  and  making  near  five  of  one,  we  really  got  a 
great  deal  of  money. 


A  Fortunate  D/s appointment.  355 

My  friend,  when  we  made  up  this  account,  smiled  at  me :  "  Well,  now,"  said 
he,  with  a  sort  of  agreeable  insult  upon  my  indolent  temper,  "  is  not  this  better 
than  walking  about  here,  like  a  man  with  nothing  to  do,  and  spending  our  time 
in  staring  at  the  nonsense  and  ignorance  of  the  Pagans  ?  "  "  Why,  truly,"  says  I, 
"  my  friend,  I  think  it  is,  and  I  begin  to  be  a  convert  to  the  principles  of  mer- 
chandising;  but  I  must  tell  you,"  said  I,  "by  the  way,  you  do  not  know  what  I 
am  doing ;  for  if  I  once  conquer  my  backwardness,  and  embark  heartily,  as  old  as 
I  am,  I  shall  harass  you  up  and  down  the  world  till  I  tire  you ;  for  I  shall  pursue 
it  so  eagerly  I  shall  never  let  you  lie  still." 

But,  to  be  short  with  my  speculations,  a  little  while  atter  this  there  came  in  a 
Dutch  ship  from  Batavia ;  she  was  a  coaster,  not  an  European  trader,  of  about 
two  hundred  tons  burden ;  the  men,  as  they  pretended,  having  been  so  sickly 
that  the  captain  had  not  hands  enough  to  go  to  sea  with,  he  lay  by  at  Bengal ; 
and  having,  it  seems,  got  money  enough,  or  being  willing,  for  other  reasons,  to  go 
for  Europe,  he  gave  public  notice  he  would  sell  his  ship.  This  came  to  my  ears 
before  my  new  partner  heard  of  it,  and  I  had  a  great  mind  to  buy  it ;  so  I  went 
to  him  and  I  told  him  of  it.  He  considered  awhile,  for  he  was  no  rash  man 
neither ;  but  musing  some  time,  he  replied,  "  She  is  a  little  too  big ,  but,  however, 
we  will  have  her."  Accordingly,  we  bought  the  ship,  and  agreeing  with  the 
master,  we  paid  for  her,  and  took  possession.  When  we  had  done  so,  we  re- 
solved to  engage  the  men,  if  we  could,  to  join  with  those  we  had,  for  the  pur- 
suing our  business ;  but,  on  a  sudden,  they  having  received  not  their  wages,  but 
their  share  of  the  money,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  not  one  of  them. was  to  be 
found ;  we  inquired  much  about  them,  and  at  length  were  told  that  they  were  all 
gone  together  by  land  to  Agra,  the  great  city  of  the  Mogul's  residence,  and  from 
thence  to  travel  to  Surat,  and  go  by  the  sea,  to  the  Gulf  of  Persia. 

Nothing  had  so  much  troubled  me  a  good  while,  as  that  I  should  miss  the 
opportunity  of  going  with  them ;  for  such  a  ramble  I  thought,  and  in  such 
company  as  would  both  have  guarded  and  diverted  me,  would  have  suited  mightily 
with  my  great  design ;  and  I  should  have  both  seen  the  world,  and  gone  homeward 
too :  but  I  was  much  better  satisfied  a  few  days  after,  when  I  came  to  know  what 
sort  of  fellows  they  were ;  for,  in  short,  their  history  was,  that  this  man  they  called 
captain  was  the  gunner  only,  not  the  commander ;  that  they  had  been  a  trading 
voyage,  in  which  they  had  been  attacked  on  shore  by  some  of  the  Malays,  who 
had  killed  the  captain  and  three  of  his  men  ;  and  that,  after  the  captain  was  killed, 
these  men,  eleven  in  number,  had  resolved  to  run  away  with  the  ship,  which 
they  did,  and  brought  her  to  Bengal,  leaving  the  mate  and  five  men  more  on 
shore. 

Well,  let  them  get  the  ship  how  they  would,  we  came  honestly  by  her,  as  we 
thought,  though  we  did  not,  I  confess,  examine  into  things  so  exactly  as  we 
ought ;  for  we  never  inquired  anything  of  the  seamen,  who  would  certainly  have 
faltered  in  their  account,  contradicted  one  another,  and  perhaps  contradicted 
themselves ;  somehow  or  other  we  should  have  had  reason  to  have  suspected 
them ;   but  the  man  showed  us  a  bill  of  sale  for  the  ship,  to  one  Emanuel  Closter- 


356 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


shoven,  or  some  such  name,  for  I  suppose  it  was  all  a  forgery,  and  called  himself  by 
that  name,  and  we  could  not  contradict  him ;  and  withal,  having  no  suspicion  of  the 
thing,  we  went  through  with  our  bargain. 

We  picked  up  some  more  English  sailors  here  after  this,  and  some  Dutch ; 
and  now  we  resolved  on  a  second  voyage  to  the  south-east  for  cloves,  etc.  ;  that 
is  to   say,  among  the  Philippine  and  Molucca  isles  ;    and,   in  short,   not  to   fill  up 


"comes  to  me  one  day  ax  englishman"  (p,  357). 


this  part  of  my  story  with  trifles,  when  what  is  to  come  is  so  remarkable,  I  spent, 
from  first  to  last,  six  years  in  this  country,  trading  from  port  to  port,  backward 
and  forward,  and  with  very  good  success,  and  was  now  the  last  year  with  my  new 
partner,  going  in  the  ship  above  mentioned,  on  a  voyage  to  China,  but  designing 
first  to  go  to  Siam,  to  buy  rice. 

In  this  voyage,  being  by  contrary  winds  obliged  to  beat  up  and  down  a  great 
while  in  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  and  among  the  islands,  we  were  no  sooner  got 
clear  of  those  difficult  seas,  than  we  found  our  ship  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  we 
were  not  able,  by  all  our  industry,  to  find  out  where  it  was.  This  forced  us  to 
make  some  port ;  and  my  partner,  who  knew  the  country  better  than  I  did, 
directed   the   captain   to  put   into   the   river   of   Cambodia ;     for    I    had    made    the 


In  Danger.  357 

English  mate,  one  Mr.  Thompson,  captain,  not  being  willing  to  take  the  charge 
of  the  ship  upon  myself.  This  river  lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  great  bay  or 
gulf  which  goes  up  to  Siam.  While  we  were  here,  and  going  often  on  shore  for 
refreshment,  there  comes  to  me  one  day  an  Englishman,  and  he  was,  it  seems, 
a  gunner's  mate  on  board  an  English  East  India  ship,  which  rode  in  the  same 
river,  at  or  near  the  city  of  Cambodia.  What  brought  him  hither,  we  knew  not ; 
but  he  comes  to  me,  and  speaking  English,  "Sir,"  says  he,  "you  are  a  stranger  to 
me,  and  I  to  you;  but  I  have  something  to  tell  you  that  very  nearly  concerns 
you." 

I  looked  steadfastly  at  him  a  good  while,  and  thought  at  first  I  had  known 
him ;  but  I  did  not.  "  If  it  very  nearly  concerns  me,"  said  I,  "  and  not  yourself, 
what  moves  you  to  tell  it  to  me?"  "I  am  moved,"  says  he,  "by  the  imminent 
danger  you  are  in,  and,  for  aught  I  see,  you  have  no  knowledge  of  it."  "  I  know 
no  danger  I  am  in,"  says  I,  "  but  that  my  ship  is  leaky,  and  I  cannot  find  it 
out ;  but  I  intend  to  lay  her  aground  to-morrow,  to  see  if  I  can  find  it."  "  But, 
sir,"  says  he,  "  leaky  or  not  leaky,  find  it  or  not  find  it,  you  will  be  wiser  than 
to  lay  your  ship  on  shore  to-morrow  when  you  hear  what  I  have  to  say  to  you. 
Do  you  know,  sir,"  said  he,  "  the  town  of  Cambodia  lies  about  fifteen  leagues  up 
this  river ;  and  there  are  two  large  English  ships  about  five  leagues  on  this  side, 
and  three  Dutch?"  "Well,"  said  I,  "and  what  is  that  to  me?"  "Why,  sir," 
said  he,  "is  it  for  a  man  that  is  upon  such  adventures  as  you  are  to  come  into 
a  port,  and  not  examine  first  what  ships  there  are  there,  and  whether  he  is  able 
to  deal  with  them?  I  suppose  you  do  not  think  you  are  a  match  for  them?  "  I 
was  amused  very  much  at  his  discourse,  but  not  amazed  at  it,  for  I  could  not 
conceive  what  he  meant;  and  I  turned  short  upon  him  and  said:  "Sir,  I  wish 
you  would  explain  yourself ;  I  cannot  imagine  what  reason  I  have  to  be  afraid  of 
any  of  the  Company's  ships,  or  Dutch  ships.  I  am  no  interloper.  What  can 
they  have  to  say  to  me?  "  He  looked  like  a  man  half  angry  and  half  pleased, 
and  pausing  awhile,  but  smiling,  "Well,  sir,"  says  he,  "if  you  think  yourself 
secure,  you  must  take  your  chance ;  I  am  sorry  your  fate  should  blind  you  against 
good  advice ;  but  assure  yourself,  if  you  do  not  put  to  sea  immediately,  you  will 
the  very  next  tide  be  attacked  by  five  long-boats  full  of  men,  and  perhaps,  if  you 
are  taken,  you  will  be  hanged  for  a  pirate,  and  the  particulars  be  examined  after- 
wards. I  thought,  sir,"  added  he,  "  I  should  have  met  with  a  better  reception 
than  this  for  doing  you  a  piece  of  service  of  such  importance."  "  I  can  never  be 
ungrateful,"  said  I,  "for  any  service,  or  to  any  man  that  offers  me  any  kindness; 
but  it  is  past  my  comprehension  what  they  should  have  such  a  design  upon  me 
for ;  however,  since  you  say  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost,  and  that  there  is  some 
villainous  design  on  hand  against  me,  I  will  go  on  board  this  minute,  and  put  to 
sea  immediately,  if  my  men  can  stop  the  leak,  or  if  we  can  swim  without 
stopping  it;  but,  sir,"  said  I,  "shall  I  go  away  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  all  this? 
Can  you  give  me  no  further  light  into  it?  "  "  I  can  tell  you  but  part  of  the 
story,  sir,"  says  he  ;  "  but  I  have  a  Dutch  seaman  here  with  me,  and  I  believe  I 
could  persuade  him  to  tell  you  the  rest,  though  there  is  scarce  time  for  it.     The 


358  Robinson  Crusoe. 

short  of  the  story  is  this — the  first  part  of  which  I  suppose  you  know  well  enough 
— that  you  were  with  this  ship  at  Sumatra ;  that  there  your  captain  was  murdered 
by  the  Malays,  with  three  of  his  men ;  and  that  you,  or  some  of  those  that  were 
on  board  with  you,  ran  away  with  the  ship,  and  are  since  turned  pirates.  This 
is  the  sum  of  the  story,  and  you  will  all  be  seized  as  pirates,  I  can  assure  you, 
and  executed  with  very  little  ceremony ;  for  you  know  merchant  ships  show  but 
little  law  to  pirates,  if  they  get  them  into  their  power."  "  Now  you  speak  plain 
English,"  said  I,  "  and  I  thank  you ;  and  though  I  know  nothing  that  we  have 
done  like  what  you  talk  of,  for  I  am  sure  we  came  honestly  and  fairly  by  the 
ship,  yet  seeing  such  a  work  is  doing,  as  you  say,  and  that  you  seem  to  mean 
honestly,  I  will  be  upon  my  guard."  "  Nay,  sir,"  says  he,  "  do  not  talk  of  being 
upon  your  guard ;  the  best  defense  is,  to  be  out  of  the  danger.  If  you  have  any 
regard  for  your  life,  and  the  lives  of  all  your  men,  put  to  sea  without  fail  at  high 
water ;  and  as  you  have  a  whole  tide  before  you,  you  will  be  gone  too  far  out 
before  they  can  come  down  ;  for  they  will  come  away  at  high  water,  and  as  they 
have  twenty  miles  to  come,  you  will  get  near  two  hours  of  them  by  the  difference 
of  the  tide,  not  reckoning  the  length  of  the  way ;  besides,  as  they  are  only  boats, 
and  not  ships,  they  will  not  venture  to  follow  you  far  out  to  sea,  especially  if  it 
blows."  "Well,"  said  I,  "you  have  been  very  kind  in  this:  what  shall  I  do  for 
you  to  make  you  amends?"  "Sir,"  says  he,  "you  may  not  be  willing  to  make 
me  any  amends,  because  you  may  not  be  convinced  of  the  truth  of  it.  I  will 
make   an  offer  to  you :    I   have    nineteen    months'  pay  due    to   me   on   board   the 

ship ,  which  I   came -out  of  England  in;    and  the   Dutchman  that  is  with  me 

has  seven  months'  pay  due  to  him.  If  you  will  make  good  our  pay  to  us,  we 
will  go  along  with  you ;  if  you  find  nothing  more  in  it,  we  will  desire  no  more ; 
but  if  we  do  convince  you  that  we  have  saved  your  lives,  and  the  ship,  and  the 
lives  of  all  the  men  in  her,  we  will  leave  the  rest  to  you." 

I  consented  to  this  readily,  and  went  immediately  on  board,  and  the  two 
men  with  me.  As  soon  as  I  came  to  the  ship's  side,  my  partner,  who  was  on 
board,  came  out  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  called  to  me,  with  a  great  deal  of 
joy,  "Oh,  ho!  Oh,  ho!  we  have  stopped  the  leak — we  have  stopped  the  leak!" 
"Say  you  so?"  said  I;  "thank  God!  but  weigh  anchor,  then,  immediately." 
"Weigh!  "  says  he  ;  "what  do  you  mean  by  that?  What  is  the  matter?"  "Ask 
no  questions,"  said  I ;  "  but  all  hands  to  work,  and  weigh  without  losing  a 
minute."  He  was  surprised;  but,  however,  he  called  the  captain,  and  he  im- 
mediately ordered  the  anchor  to  be  got  up  ;  and  though  the  tide  was  not  quite 
down,  yet  a  little  land-breeze  blowing,  we  stood  out  to  sea.  Then  I  called  him 
into  the  cabin,  and  told  him  the  story ;  and  we  called  in  the  men,  and  they 
told  us  the  rest  of  it ;  but  as  it  took  up  a  great  deal  of  time,  before  we  had 
done,  a  seaman  comes  to  the  cabin  door,  and  called  out  to  us  that  the  captain 
bade  him  tell  us  we  were  chased.  "Chased!"  says  I;  "by  what?"  "By  five 
sloops,  or  boats,"  says  the  fellow,  "full  of  men."  "Very  well,"  said  I,  "then 
it  is  apparent  there  is  something  in  it."  In  the  next  place,  I  ordered  all  our 
men  to  be  called  up,  and  told  them  that    there  was  a  design  to  seize  the  ship, 


Flight.  359 

and  to  take  us  for  pirates,  and  asked  them  if  they  would  stand  by  us,  and  by 
one  another ;  the  men  answered  cheerfully,  one  and  all,  that  they  would  live  and 
die  with  us.  Then  I  asked  the  captain  what  way  he  thought  best  for  us  to 
manage  a  fight  with  them ;  for  resist  them  I  was  resolved  we  would,  and  that  to 
the  last  drop.  He  said  readily,  that  the  way  was  to  keep  them  off  with  Our 
great  shot  as  long  as  we  could,  and  then  to  fire  at  them  with  our  small  arms, 
to  keep  them  from  boarding  us :  but  when  neither  of  these  would  do  any  longer, 
we  would  retire  to  our  close  quarters ;  perhaps  they  had  not  materials  to  break 
open  our  bulk-heads,  or  get  in  upon  us. 

The  gunner  had,  in  the  meantime,  orders  to  bring  two  guns  to  bear  fore  and 
aft,  out  of  the  steerage,  to  clear  the  deck,  and  load  them  with  musket-bullets  and 
small  pieces  of  old  iron,  and  what  came  next  to  hand ;  and  thus  we  made  ready 
for  fight :  but  all  this  while  we  kept  out  to  sea,  with  wind  enough,  and  could  see 
the  boats  at  a  distance,  being  five  large  long-boats,  following  us  with  all  the  sail 
they  could  make. 

Two  of  these  boats  (which  by  our  glasses  we  could  see  were  English)  had 
outsailed  the  rest,  were  near  two  leagues  ahead  of  them,  and  gained  upon  us 
considerably,  so  that  we  found  they  would  come  up  with  us ;  upon  which  we  fired 
a  gun  without  ball,  to  intimate  that  they  should  bring  to :  and  we  put  out  a  flag 
of  truce,  as  a  signal  for  parley ;  but  they  came  crowding  after  us,  till  they  came 
within  shot,  when  we  took  in  our  white  flag,  they  having  made  no  answer  to  it, 
and  hung  out  a  red  flag,  and  fired  at  them  with  a  shot.  Notwithstanding  this, 
they  came  on  till  they  were  near  enough  to  call  to  them  with  a  speaking-trumpet 
which  we  had  on  board ;  so  we  called  to  them,  and  bade  them  keep  off  at  their 
peril. 

It  was  all  one ;  they  crowded  after  us,  and  endeavored  to  come  under  our 
stern  so  as  to  board  us  on  our  quarter ;  upon  which,  seeing  they  were  resolute  for 
mischief  and  depended  upon  the  strength  that  followed  them,  I  ordered  to  bring 
the  ship  to,  so  that  they  lay  upon  our  broadside  ;  when  immediately  we  fired  five 
guns  at  them,  one  of  which  had  been  leveled  so  true  as  to  carry  away  the  stern 
of  the  hindermost  boat,  and  bring  them  to  the  necessity  of  taking  down  their  sail, 
and  running  all  to  the  head  of  the  boat,  to  keep  her  from  sinking ;  so  she  lay  by, 
and  had  enough  of  it ;  but  seeing  the  foremost  boat  crowd  on  after  us,  we 
made  ready  to  fire  at  her  in  particular.  While  this  was  doing,  one  of  the  three 
boats  that  was  behind,  being  forwarder  than  the  other  two,  made  up  to  the  boat 
which  we  had  disabled,  to  relieve  her,  and  we  could  see  her  take  out  the  men : 
we  called  again  to  the  foremost  boat,  and  offered  a  truce,  to  parley  again,  and  to 
know  what  her  business  was  with  us  ;  but  had  no  answer,  only  she  crowded  close 
under  our  stern.  Upon  this,  our  gunner,  who  was  a  very  dexterous  fellow,  ran 
out  his  two  chase-guns,  and  fired  again  at  her,  but  the  shot  missing,  the  men  in 
the  boat  shouted,  waved  their  caps,  and  came  on :  the  gunner  getting  quickly 
ready  again,  fired  among  them  a  second  time,  one  shot  of  which,  though  it 
missed  the  boat  itself,  yet  fell  in  among  the  men,  and  we  could  easily  see  had 
done  a  great  deal  of  mischief  among  them ;   but  we  took  no  notice  of  that,  wore 


360  Robinson  Crusoe. 

the  ship  again,  and  brought  our  quarter  to  bear  upon  them,  and  firing  three  guns 
more,  we  found  the  boat  was  almost  split  to  pieces ;  in  particular,  her  rudder  and 
a  piece  of  her  stern  were  shot  quite  away ;  so  they  hauled  her  sail  immediately, 
and  were  in  great  disorder.  But,  to  complete  their  misfortune,  our  gunner  let  fly 
two  guns  at  them  again ;  where  he  hit  them  we  could  not  tell,  but  we  found  the 
boat  was  sinking,  and  some  of  the  men  already  in  the  water:  upon  this,  I 
immediately  manned  out  our  pinnace,  which  we  had  kept  close  by  our  side,  with 
orders  to  pick  up  some  of  the  men,  if  they  could,  and  save  them  from  drowning, 
and  immediately  to  come  on  board  ship  with  them,  because  we  saw  the  rest  of 
the  boats  began  to  come  up.  Our  men  in  the  pinnace  followed  their  orders,  and 
took  up  three  men,  one  of  whom  was  just  drowning,  and  it  was  a  good  while 
before  we  could  recover  him.  As  soon  as  they  were  on  board,  we  crowded  all 
the  sail  we  could  make,  and  stood  farther  out  to  sea ;  and  we  found  that  when 
the  other  three  boats  came  up  to  the  first  two  they  gave  over  their  chase. 

Being  thus  delivered  from  a  danger  which,  though  I  knew  not  the  reason 
of  it,  yet  seemed  to  be  much  greater  than  I  apprehended,  I  resolved  that  we 
should  change  our  course,  and  not  let  any  one  know  whither  we  were  going:  so  we 
stood  out  to  sea  eastward,  quite  out  of  the  course  of  all  European  ships,  whether 
they  were  bound  to  China  or  anywhere  else,  within  the  commerce  of  the 
European  nations. 

When  we  were  at  sea  we  began  to  consult  with  the  two  seamen,  and  inquire 
what  the  meaning  of  all  this  should  be  ;  and  the  Dutchman  let  us  into  the  secret 
at  once,  telling  us  that  the  fellow  that  sold  us  the  ship,  as  we  said,  was  no  more 
than  a  thief  that  had  run  away  with  her.  Then  he  told  us  that  the  captain, 
whose  name  too  he  mentioned,  though  I  do  not  remember  it  now,  was  treacher- 
ously murdered  by  the  natives  on  the  coast  of  Malacca,  with  three  of  his  men — 
and  that  he,  this  Dutchman,  and  four  more,  got  into  the  woods,  where  they 
wandered  about  a  great  while,  till  at  length  he,  in  particular,  in  a  miraculous 
manner,  made  his  escape,  and  swam  off  to  a  Dutch  ship,  which,  sailing  near  the 
shore  in  its  way  from  China,  had  sent  their  boat  on  shore  for  fresh  water ;  that 
he  durst  not  come  to  that  part  of  the  shore  where  the  boat  was,  but  made  shift 
in  the  night  to  take  the  water  farther  off,  and  swimming  a  great  while ;  at  last  the 
ship's  boat  took  him  up. 

He  then  told  us  that  he  went  to  Batavia,  where  two  of  the  seamen  belonging 
to  the  ship  had  arrived,  having  deserted  the  rest  in  their  travels,  and  gave  an 
account  that  the  fellow  who  had  run  away  with  the  ship  sold  her  at  Bengal  to  a 
set  of  pirates,  who  were  gone  a-cruising  in  her,  and  that  they  had  already  taken 
an  English  ship  and  two  Dutch  ships  very  richly  laden. 

This  latter  part  we  found  to  concern  us  directly,  though  we  knew  it  to  be 
false ;  yet,  as  my  partner  said,  very  justly,  if  we  had  fallen  into  their  hands,  and 
they  had  had  such  a  prepossession  against  us  beforehand,  it  had  been  in  vain 
for  us  to  have  defended  ourselves,  or  to  hope  for  any  good  quarter  at  their 
hands ;  and  especially,  considering  that  our  accusers  had  been  our  judges,  and 
that    we    could    have    expected    nothing   from  them  but  what  rage   would  have 


Deliberation  as  to  Future  Movements. 


361 


dictated,  and  an  ungoverned  passion  have  executed;  and  therefore  it  was  his 
opinion  we  should  go  directly  back  to  Bengal,  from  whence  we  came,  without 
putting  in  at  any  port  whatever;  because  there  we  could  give  a  good  account 
of  ourselves,   could  prove  where   we   were  when    the   ship   put   in,   of  whom  we 


bought  her,  and  the 
like  ;   and,  what  was  more 
than    all    the    rest,    if   we 
were   put    upon    the    neces- 
sity of  bringing  it  before  the 
proper  judges,    we    should    be 
sure  to  have  some  justice,  and 
not  be  hanged  first,  and  judged 
afterwards. 

I  was  some  time  of  my 
partner's  opinion ;  but  after  a 
little  more  serious  thinking,  I 
told  him  I  thought  it  was  a 
very  great  hazard  for  us  to 
attempt  returning  to  Bengal,  for 
that  we  were  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  Straits  of  Malacca,  and  that  if  the 
alarm  was  given,  we  should  be  sure  to  be  waylaid  on  every  side,  as  well  by 
the  Dutch  at  Batavia  as  the  English  elsewhere :  that  if  we  should  be  taken 
as  it  were  running  away,  we  should  even  condemn  ourselves,  and  there 
would  want  no  more  evidence  to  destroy  us.  I  also  asked  the  English  sailor's 
opinion,  who  said  he  was  of  my  mind,  and  that  we  should  certainly  be  taken. 
This  danger  a  little  startled  my  partner,  and  all  the  ship's  company,  and  we 
immediately   resolved   to   go   away   to    the    coast   of    Tonquin,    and    so   on   to   the 


COULD    SEE    THE    BOATS    AT    A    DISTANCE  : 

(A  359)- 


362  Robinson  Crusoe. 

coast  of  China ;  and  pursuing  the  first  design  as  to  trade,  find  some  way  or  other 
to  dispose  of  the  ship,  and  come  back  in  some  of  the  vessels  of  the  country,  such 
as  we  could  get.  This  was  approved  of  as  the  best  method  for  our  security ;  and 
accordingly  we  steered  away  N.N.E.,  keeping  about  fifty  leagues  off  from  the 
usual  course  to  the  eastward.  This,  however,  put  us  to  some  inconvenience ;  for, 
first,  the  winds,  when  we  came  that  distance  from  the  shore,  seemed  to  be  more 
steadily  against  us,  blowing  almost  trade,  as  we  call  it,  from  the  E.  and  E.N.E., 
so  that  we  were  a  long  while  upon  our  voyage,  and  we  were  but  ill  provided  with 
victuals  for  so  long  a  run  ;  and,  what  was  still  worse,  there  was  some  danger  that 
those  English  and  Dutch  ships,  whose  boats  pursued  us,  whereof  some  were 
bound  that  way,  might  have  got  in  before  us,  and  if  not,  some  other  ship  bound 
to  China  might  have  information  of  us  from  them,  and  pursue  us  with  the  same 
vigor. 

I  must  confess  I  was  now  very  uneasy,  and  thought  myself,  including  the  late 
escape  from  the  long-boats,  to  have  been  in  the  most  dangerous  condition  that 
ever  I  was  in  through  all  my  past  life ;  for  whatever  ill  circumstances  I  had  been 
in,  I  was  never  pursued  for  a  thief  before ;  nor  had  I  ever  done  anything  that 
merited  the  name  of  dishonest  or  fraudulent,  much  less  thievish ;  I  had  chiefly 
been  my  own  enemy,  or,  as  I  may  rightly  say,  I  had  been  nobody's  enemy  but 
my  own ;  but  now  I  was  embarrassed  in  the  worst  condition  imaginable ;  for 
though  I  was  perfectly  innocent,  I  was  in  no  condition  to  make  that  innocence 
appear ;  and  if  I  had  been  taken,  it  had  been  under  a  supposed  guilt  of  the 
worst  kind — at  least,  a  crime  esteemed  so  among  the  people  I  had  to  do  with. 
This  made  me  very  anxious  to  make  an  escape,  though  which  way  to  do  it  I 
knew  not,  or  what  port  or  place  wc  should  go  to.  My  partner  seeing  me  thus 
dejected,  though  he  was  the  most  concerned  at  first,  began  to  encourage  me, 
and  describing  to  me  the  several  ports  of  that  coast,  told  me  he  would  put 
in  on  the  coast  of  Cochin  China,  or  the  Bay  of  Tonquin,  intending  afterwards 
to  go  to  Macao,  a  town  once  in  possession  of  the  Portuguese,  and  where  still  a 
great  many  European  families  resided,  and  particularly  the  missionary  priests  usually 
went  thither  in  order  to  their  going  forward  to  China. 

Hither,  then,  we  resolved  to  go ;  and  accordingly,  though  after  a  tedious  and 
irregular  course,  and  very  much  straitened  for  provisions,  we  came  within  sight 
of  the  coast  very  early  in  the  morning ;  and  upon  reflection  on  the  past  circum- 
stances we  were  in,  and  the  danger  if  we  had  not  escaped,  we  resolved  to  put 
into  a  small  river,  which,  however,  had  depth  enough  of  water  for  us,  and  to  see 
if  we  could,  either  overland  or  by  the  ship's  pinnace,  come  to  know  what  ships 
were  in  any  port  thereabouts.  This  happy  step  was,  indeed,  our  deliverance ;  for 
though  we  did  not  immediately  see  any  European  ships  in  the  Bay  of  Tonquin, 
yet  the  next  morning  there  came  into  the  bay  two  Dutch  ships ;  and  a  third, 
without  any  colors  spread  out,  but  which  we  believed  to  be  a  Dutchman,  passed 
by  at  about  two  leagues'  distance,  steering  for  the  coast  of  China,  and  in  the 
afternoon  went  by  two  English  ships  steering  the  same  course ;  and  thus  we 
thought  we  saw  ourselves  beset  with  enemies  both  one  way  and  the  other.     The 


Our  Ship  Springs  a  Leak.  363 

place  we  were  in  was  wild  and  barbarous — the  people  thieves,  even  by  occupation 
or  profession ;  and  though,  it  is  true,  we  had  not  much  to  seek  of  them,  and, 
except  getting  a  few  provisions,  cared  not  how  little  we  had  to  do  with  them, 
yet  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  we  kept  ourselves  from  being  insulted  by 
them  several  ways.  We  were  in  a  small  river  of  this  country,  within  a  few 
leagues  of  its  utmost  limits  northward  ;  and  by  our  boat  we  coasted  north-east, 
to  the  point  of  land  which  opens  the  great  Bay  of  Tonquin ;  and  it  was  in  this 
beating  up  along  the  shore  that  we  discovered  we  were  surrounded  with  enemies. 
The  people  we  were  among  were  the  most  barbarous  of  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  coast,  having  no  correspondence  with  any  other  nation,  and  dealing  only  in 
fish  and  oil,  and  such  gross  commodities ;  and  it  may  be  particularly  seen  that 
they  are  the  most  barbarous  of  any  of  the  inhabitants.  Among  other  customs, 
they  have  this  one — that  if  any  vessel  has  the  misfortune  to  be  shipwrecked 
upon  their  coast,  they  presently  make  the  men  all  prisoners  or  slaves ;  and  it  was 
not  long  before  we  found  a  piece  of  their  kindness  this  way,  on  the  occasion 
following. 

I  have  observed  above,  that  our  ship  sprung  a  leak  at  sea,  and  that  we  could 
not  find  it  out ;  and  it  happened  that,  as  I  have  said,  it  was  stopped  unex- 
pectedly, in  the  happy  minute  of  our  being  to  be  seized  by  the  Dutch  and 
English  ships  near  the  Bay  of  Siam ;  yet,  as  we  did  not  find  the  ship  so  perfectly 
tight  and  sound  as  we  desired,  we  resolved  while  we  were  at  this  place  to  lay 
her  on  shore,  and  take  out  what  heavy  things  we  had  on  board,  and  clean  her 
bottom,  if  possible,  to  find  out  where  the  leaks  were.  Accordingly,  having  light- 
ened the  ship,  and  brought  all  our  guns  and  other  movables  to  one  side,  we  tried 
to  bring  her  down,  that  we  might  come  at  her  bottom ;  but,  on  second  thoughts, 
we  did  not  care  to  lay  her  on  dry  ground,  neither  could  we  find  out  a  proper 
place  for  it. 

The  inhabitants,  who  had  never  been  acquainted  with  such  a  sight,  came 
wondering  down  the  shore  to  look  at  us ;  and  seeing  the  ship  lie  down  on  one 
side  in  such  a  manner,  and  heeling  in  towards  the  shore,  and  not  seeing  our 
men,  who  were  at  work  on  her  bottom  with  stages,  and  with  their  boats  on  the 
off-side,  they  presently  concluded  that  the  ship  was  cast  away,  and  lay  fast  on  the 
ground.  On  this  supposition,  they  all  came  about  us  in  two  or  three  hours'  time, 
with  ten  or  twelve  large  boats,  having  some  of  them  eight,  some  ten  men  in  a 
boat,  intending,  no  doubt,  to  have  come  on  board  and  plundered  the  ship,  and  if 
they  found  us  there,  to  have  carried  us  away  for  slaves  to  their  king,  or  whatever 
they  call  him,  for  we  knew  nothing  of  their  governor. 

When  they  came  up  to  the  ship,  and  began  to  row  round  her,  they  discovered 
us  all  hard  at  work  on  the  outside  of  the  ship's  bottom  and  side,  washing,  and 
graving,  and  stopping,  as  every  sea-faring  man  knows  how.  They  stood  for  a 
while  gazing  at  us,  and  we,  who  were  a  little  surprised,  could  not  imagine  what 
their  design  was ;  but  being  willing  to  be  sure,  we  took  this  opportunity  to  get 
some  of  us  into  the  ship,  and  others  to  hand  down  arms  and  ammunition  to 
those  that  were  at  work,  to  defend  themselves  with,  if  there  should  be  occasion ; 


364 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


and  it  was  no  more  than  need — for  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  consul- 
tation, they  agreed,  it  seems,  that  the  ship  was  really  a  wreck,  and  that  we  were 
all  at  work  endeavoring  to  save  her,  or  to  save  our  lives  by  the  help  of  our 
boats ;  and  when  we  handed  our  arms  into  the  boat,  they  concluded,  by  that 
motion,  that  we  were  endeavoring  to  save  some  of  our  goods :    upon  this,  they 


THEY   HAULED   HER   SAIL"    {p.  360). 


took  it  for  granted  we  all  belonged  to  them,  and  away  they  came  directly  upon 
our  men,  as  if  it  had  been  in  a  line  of  battle. 

Our  men,  seeing  so  many  of  them,  began  to  be  frightened,  for  we  lay  but  in 
an  ill  posture  to  fight,  and  cried  out  to  us  to  know  what  they  should  do.  I 
immediately  called  to  the  men  that  worked  upon  the  stages,  to  slip  them  down, 
and  get  up  the  side  into  the  ship,  and  bade  those  in  the  boat  to  row  round  and 
come  on  board ;  and  the  few  who  were  on  board  worked  with  all  the  strength 
and  hands  we  had  to  bring  the  ship  to  rights ;  but,  however,  neither  the  men 
upon  the  stages  nor  those  in  the  boats  could  do  as  they  were  ordered  before  the 
Cochin  Chinese  were  upon  them  ;  and  two  of  their  boats  boarded  our  long-boat, 
and  began  to  lay  hold  of  the  men  as  their  prisoners. 

The  first  man  they  laid  hold  of  was  an  English  seaman,  a  stout,  strong  fellow, 
who,  having  a  musket  in  his  hand,  never  offered  to  fire  it,  but  laid  it  down  in  the 


A  Novel  Mode  of  Warfare.  365 

boat,  like  a  fool,  as  I  thought ;  but  he  understood  his  business  better  than  I 
could  teach  him,  for  he  grappled  the  pagan,  and  dragged  him  by  main  force  out 
of  their  boat  into  ours,  where,  taking  him  by  the  ears,  he  beat  his  head  so 
against  the  boat's  gunnel,  that  the  fellow  died  in  his  hands ;  and,  in  the  meantime, 
a  Dutchman,  who  stood  next,  took  up  the  musket,  and  with  the  butt-end  of  it  so 
laid  about  him,  that  he  knocked  down  five  of  them  who  attempted  to  enter 
the  boat.  But  this  was  doing  little  towards  resisting  thirty  or  forty  men,  who, 
fearless  because  ignorant  of  their  danger,  began  to  throw  themselves  into 
the  long-boat  where  we  had  but  five  men  in  all  to  defend  it ;  however,  the 
following  accident,  which  deserved  our  laughter,  gave  our  men  a  complete 
victory. 

Our  carpenter  being  prepared  to  grave  the  outside  of  the  ship,  as  well  as  to 
pay  the  seams  where  he  had  caulked  her  to  stop  the  leaks,  had  got  two  kettles 
just  let  down  into  the  boat,  one  filled  with  boiling  pitch,  and  the  other  with 
resin,  tallow,  and  oil,  and  such  stuff  as  the  shipwrights  use  for  that  work ;  and 
the  man  that  attended  the  carpenter  had  a  great  iron  ladle  in  his  hand,  with 
which  he  supplied  the  men  that  were  at  work  with  the  hot  stuff.  Two  of  the 
enemy's  men  entered  the  boat  just  where  this  fellow  stood,  being  in  the  fore- 
sheets  ;  he  immediately  saluted  them  with  a  ladleful  of  the  stuff,  boiling  hot, 
which  so  burned  and  scalded  them,  being  half-naked,  that  they  roared  out  like 
bulls,  and,  enraged  with  the  fire,  leaped  both  into  the  sea.  The  carpenter  saw  it, 
and  cried  out,  "Well  done,  Jack!  give  them  some  more  of  it:"  and  stepping 
forward  himself,  takes  one  of  the  mops,  and  dipping  it  in  the  pitch-pot,  he  and 
his  man  threw  it  among  them  so  plentifully  that,  in  short,  of  all  the  men  in  the 
three  boats,  there  was  not  one  that  escaped  being  scalded  and  burned  with  it, 
in  a  most  frightful,  pitiful  manner,  and  made  such  a  howling  and  crying  that  I 
never  heard  a  worse  noise :  for  it  is  worth  observing  that,  though  pain  naturally 
makes  all  people  cry  out,  yet  every  nation  has  a  particular  way  of  exclamation, 
and  make  a  noise  as  different  one  from  another  as  their  speech.  I  cannot  give  the. 
noise  these  creatures  made  a  better  name  than  howling,  nor  a  name  more  proper 
to  the  tone  of  it ;  for  I  never  heard  anything  more  like  the  noise  of  the 
wolves  which,  as  I  have  said,  I  heard  howl  in  the  forest  on  the  frontiers  of 
Languedoc. 

I  was  never  better  pleased  with  a  victory  in  my  life ;  not  only  as  it  was  a 
perfect  surprise  to  me,  and  that  our  danger  was  imminent  before,  but  as  we  got 
this  victory  without  any  bloodshed,  except  of  that  man  the  fellow  killed  with  his 
naked  hands,  and  which  I  was  very  much  concerned  at ;  for  I  was  sick  of 
killing  such  poor  savage  wretches,  even  though  it  was  in  my  own  defense, 
knowing  they  came  on  errands  which  they  thought  just,  and  knew  no  better ; 
and  that  though  it  may  be  a  just  thing,  because  necessary  (for  there  is  no  neces- 
sary wickedness  in  nature),  yet  I  thought  it  was  a  sad  life,  when  we  must  be 
always  obliged  to  be  killing  our  fellow-creatures  to  preserve  ourselves ;  and, 
indeed,  I  think  so  still ;  and  I  would  even  now  suffer  a  great  deal,  rather  than  I 
would  take  away  the  life  even  of  the  worst  person  injuring  me ;   and  I  believe  all 


366  Robinson  Crusoe. 

considering  people,  who  know  the  value  of  life,  would  be  of  my  opinion,  if  they 
entered  seriously  into  the  consideration  of  it. 

But  to  return  to  my  story : — All  the  while  this  was  doing,  my  partner  and  I, 
who  managed  the  rest  of  the  men  on  board,  had  with  great  dexterity  brought  the 
ship  almost  to  rights,  and  having  got  the  guns  into  their  places  again,  the  gunner 
called  to  me  to  bid  our  boat  get  out  of  the  way,  for  he  would  let  fly  among 
them.  I  called  back  again  to  him,  and  bid  him  not  offer  to  fire,  for  the 
carpenter  would  do  the  work  without  him ;  but  bid  him  heat  another  pitch-kettle, 
which  our  cook,  who  was  on  board,  took  care  of.  The  enemy  was  so  terrified 
with  what  they  had  met  with  in  their  first  attack,  that  they  would  not  come  on 
again ;  and  some  of  them  who  were  farthest  off,  seeing  the  ship  swim,  as  it  were, 
upright,  began,  as  we  suppose,  to  see  their  mistake,  and  gave  over  the  enterprise, 
finding  it  was  not  as  they  expected.  Thus  we  got  clear  of  this  merry  fight ; 
and  having  got  some  rice,  and  some  roots  and  bread,  with  about  sixteen  hogs, 
on  board,  two  days  before,  we  resolved  to  stay  here  no  longer,  but  go  forward, 
whatever  came  of  it ;  for  we  made  no  doubt  but  we  should  be  surrounded  the 
next  day  with  rogues  enough,  perhaps  more  than  our  pitch-kettle  would  dispose 
of  for  us.  We  therefore  got  all  our  things  on  board  the  same  evening,  and  the 
next  morning  were  ready  to  sail :  in  the  meantime,  lying  at  anchor  at  some 
distance  from  the  shore,  we  were  not  so  much  concerned,  being  now  in  a  fighting 
posture,  as  well  as  in  a  sailing  posture,  if  any  enemy  had  presented.  The  next 
day,  having  finished  our  work  within  board,  and  finding  our  ship  was  perfectly 
healed  of  all  her  leaks,  we  set  sail.  We  would  have  gone  into  the  Bay  of 
Tonquin,  for  we  wanted  to  inform  ourselves  of  what  was  to  be  known  concerning 
the  Dutch  ships  that  had  been  there  ;  but  we  durst  not  stand  in  there,  because  we 
had  seen  several  ships  go  in,  as  we  supposed,  but  a  little  before ;  so  we  kept  on 
N.E.,  towards  the  island  of  Formosa,  as  much  afraid  of  being  seen  by  a  Dutch 
or  English  merchant  ship,  as  a  Dutch  or  English  merchant  ship  in  the  Mediterranean 
is  of  an  Algerine  man-of-war. 

When  we  were  thus  got  to  sea,  we  kept  on  N.E.,  as  if  we  would  go  to  the 
Manillas  or  the  Philippine  Islands ;  and  this  we  did  that  we  might  not  fall  into  the 
way  of  any  of  the  European  ships ;  and  then  we  steered  north,  till  we  came  to 
the  latitude  of  22  degrees  20  minutes,  by  which  means  we  made  the  island  of 
Formosa  directly,  where  we  came  to  an  anchor,  in  order  to  get  water  and  fresh 
provisions,  which  the  people  there,  who  are  very  courteous  and  civil  in  their 
manners,  supplied  us  with  willingly,  and  dealt  very  fairly  and  punctually  with  us 
in  all  their  agreements  and  bargains ;  which  is  what  we  did  not  find  among  other 
people,  and  may  be  owing  to  the  remains  of  Christianity  which  was  once  planted 
here  by  a  Dutch  missionary  of  Protestants,  and  is  a  testimony  of  what  I  have 
often  observed,  viz.,  that  the  Christian  religion  always  civilizes  the  people  and 
reforms  their  manners,  where  it  is  received,  whether  it  works  saving  effects  upon 
them  or  no. 

From  thence  we  sailed  still  north,  keeping  the  coast  of  China  at  an  equal  dis- 
tance, till  we  knew  we  were  beyond  all  the  ports  of  China  where  our   European 


Our  Garrulous  Pilot.  367 

ships  usually  come ;  being  resolved,  if  possible,  not  to  fall  into  any  of  their  hands, 
especially  in  this  country ;  where,  as  our  circumstances  were,  we  could  not  fail  of 
being  entirely  ruined. 

Being  now  come  to  the  latitude  of  30  degrees,  we  resolved  to  put  into  the 
first  trading  port  we  should  come  at ;  and  standing  in  for  the  shore,  a  boat  came 
off  two  leagues  to  us  with  an  old  Portuguese  pilot  on  board,  who,  knowing  us  to 
be  a  European  ship,  came  to  offer  his  service,  which,  indeed,  we  were  glad  of, 
and  took  him  on  board ;  upon  which,  without  asking  whither  we  would  go,  he 
dismissed  the  boat  he  came  in,  and  sent  it  back. 

I  thought  it  was  now  so  much  in  our  choice  to  make  the  old  man  carry  us 
whither  we  would,  that  I  began  to  talk  to  him  about  carrying  us  to  the  Gulf  of 
Nanquin,  which  is  the  most  northern  part  of  the  coast  of  China.  The  old  man 
said  he  knew  the  Gulf  of  Nanquin  very  well ;  but  smiling,  asked  us  what  we 
would  do  there.  I  told  him  we  would  sell  our  cargo  and  purchase  China  wares, 
calicoes,  raw  silks,  tea,  wrought  silks,  etc. ;  and  so  would  return  by  the  same 
course  we  came.  He  told  us  our  best  port  would  have  been  to  put  in  at  Macao, 
where  we  could  not  have  failed  of  a  market  for  our  opium  to  our  satisfaction, 
and  might  for  our  money  have  purchased  all  sorts  of  China  goods  as  cheap  as  we 
could  at  Nanquin. 

Not  being  able  to  put  the  old  man  out  of  his  talk,  of  which  he  was  very 
opinionated  or  conceited,  I  told  him  we  were  gentlemen  as  well  as  merchants, 
and  that  we  had  a  mind  to  go  and  see  the  great  city  of  Pekin,  and  the  famous 
court  of  the  monarch  of  China.  "  Why,  then,"  says  the  old  man,  "  you  should  go 
to  Ningpo,  where,  by  the  river  which  runs  into  the  sea  there,  you  may  go  within 
five  leagues  of  the  great  canal.  This  canal  is  a  navigable  stream,  which  goes 
through  the  heart  of  that  vast  empire  of  China,  crosses  all  the  rivers,  passes  some 
considerable  hills  by  the  help  of  sluices  and  gates,  and  goes  up  to  the  city  of 
Pekin,  being  in  length  near  two  hundred  and  seventy  leagues." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  Seignior  Portuguese,  but  that  is  not  our  business  now ;  the 
great  question  is,  if  you  can  carry  us  up  to  the  city  of  Nanquin,  from  whence  we 
can  travel  to  Pekin  afterwards?  "  He  said  he  could  do  so  very  well,  and  that 
there  was  a  great  Dutch  ship  gone  up  that  way  just  before.  This  gave  me  a 
little  shock,  for  a  Dutch  ship  was  now  our  terror,  and  we  had  much  rather  have 
met  the  devil,  at  least  if  he  had  not  come  in  too  frightful  a  figure ;  and  we 
depended  upon  it  that  a  Dutch  ship  would  be  our  destruction,  for  we  were  in  no 
condition  to  fight  them  ;  all  the  ships  they  trade  with  into  those  parts  being  of 
great  burden,  and  of  much  greater  force  than  we  were. 

The  old  man  found  me  a  little  confused,  and  under  some  concern  when  he 
named  a  Dutch  ship,  and  said  to  me,  "  Sir,  you  need  be  under  no  apprehensions 
of  the  Dutch;  I  suppose  they  are  not  now  at  war  with  your  nation?"  "No," 
said  I,  "  that's  true ;  but  I  know  not  what  liberties  men  may  take  when  they  are 
out  of  the  reach  of  the  laws  of  their  own  country."  "  Why,"  says  he,  "  you  are  no 
pirates ;   what  need  you  fear?     They  will    not    meddle  with  peaceable  merchants, 


368  Robinson  Crusoe. 

If  I  had  any  blood  in  my  body  that  did  not  fly  up  into  my  face  at  that  word, 
it  was  hindered  by  some  stop  in  the  vessels  appointed  by  nature  to  circulate  it, 
for  it  put  me  into  the  greatest  disorder  and  confusion  imaginable ;  nor  was  it 
possible  for' me  to  co"  ceal  it  so,  but  the  old  man  easily  perceived  it. 

"  Sir,"  says  he,  "  I  find  you  are  in  some  disorder  in  your  thoughts  at  my 
talk ;  pray  be  pleased  to  go  which  way  you  think  fit,  and  depend  upon  it,  I'll  do 
you  all  the  service  I  can."  "  Why,  seignior,"  said  I,  "  it  is  true  I  am  a  little 
unsettled  in  my  resolution,  at  this  time,  whither  to  go  in  particular ;  and  I  am 
something  more  so  for  what  you  said  about  pirates.  I  hope  there  are  no  pirates 
in  these  seas.  We  are  but  in  an  ill  condition  to  meet  with  them,  for  you  see  we 
have  but  a  small  force,  and  are  but  very  weakly  manned."  "  Oh,  sir,"  says  he, 
"  don't  be  concerned  ;  I  do  not  know  that  there  have  been  any  pirates  in  these 
seas  these  fifteen  years,  except  one,  which  was  seen,  as  I  hear,  in  the  Bay  of 
Siam,  about  a  month  since ;  but  you  may  be  assured  she  is  gone  to  the  southward ; 
nor  was  she  a  ship  of  any  great  force,  or  fit  for  the  work.  She  was  not  built  for 
a  privateer,  but  was  run  away  with  by  a  reprobate  crew  that  was  on  board,  after 
the  captain  and  some  of  his  men  had  been  murdered  by  the  Malayans,  at  or  near 
the  island  of  Sumatra."  "What!"  said  I,  seeming  to  know  nothing  of  the  matter, 
"did  they  murder  the  captain?"  "No,"  said  he,  "I  don't  understand  they 
murdered  him ;  but,  as  they  afterwards  ran  away  with  the  ship,  it  is  generally 
believed  that  they  betrayed  him  into  the  hands  of  the  Malayans,  who  did  murder 
him,  and  perhaps  they  procured  them  to  do  it."  "Why,  then,"  said  I,  "they 
deserve  death  as  much  as  if  they  had  done  it  themselves."  "  Nay,"  says  the  old 
man,  '  they  do  deserve  it ;  and  they  will  certainly  have  it,  if  they  light  upon  any 
English  or  Dutch  ship;  for  they  have  all  agreed  together,. that  if  they  meet  that 
rogue,  they'll  give  him  no  quarter."  "  But,"  said  I  to  him,  "  you  say  the  pirate 
is  gone  out  of  these  seas;  how  can  they  meet  with  him,  then?"  "Why,  that's 
true,"  says  he,  "  they  do  say  so ;  but  he  was,  as  I  tell  you,  in  the  Bay  of  Siam, 
in  the  river  Cambodia,  and  was  discovered  there  by  some  Dutchmen  who 
belonged  to  the  ship,  and  who  were  left  on  shore  when  they  ran  away  with  her; 
and  some  English  and  Dutch  traders  being  in  the  river,  they  were  within  a  little 
of  taking  him;  nay,"  said  he,  "if  the  foremost  boats  had  been  well  seconded  by 
the  rest,  they  had  certainly  taken  him ;  but  he,  finding  only  two  boats  within  reach 
of  him,  tacked  about,  and  fired  at  those  two,  and  disabled  them  before  the  others 
came  up,  and  then  standing  off  to  sea,  the  others  were  not  able  to  follow,  and  so 
he  got  away ;  but  they  have  all  so  exact  a  description  of  the  ship,  that  they  will 
be  sure  to  know  her ;  and  wherever  they  find  her,  they  have  vowed  to  give  no 
quarter  either  to  the  captain  or  seamen,  but  to  hang  them  all  up  at  the  yard- 
arm."  "What!  "  said  I,  "will  they  execute  them,  right  or  wrong?  hang  them 
first,  and  judge  them  afterwards?"  "Oh,  sir,"  savs  the  old  pilot,  "there  is  no 
need  to  make  a  formal  business  of  it  with  such  rogues  as  those ;  let  them  tie 
them  back  to  back,  and  set  them  a  diving — 'tis  no  more  than  they  rightly  deserve." 

I  knew  I  had  my  old  man  fast  on  board,  and  that  he  could  do  no  harm,  so 
that  I   turned  short  upon  him.     "Well,  now,  seignior,"  said  I,   "this    is  the  very 


WELL  DONE,   JACK!      GIVE  THEM   SOME   MORE  OF   IT.* 


iSeef.  365.) 


Our  Garrulous  Pilot. 


369 


reason  why  I  would  have  you  carry  us  up  to  Nanquin,  and  not  put  back  to 
Macao,  or  to  any  other  part  of  the  country  where  the  English  or  Dutch  ships 
come ;  for  be  it  known  to  you,  seignior,  those  captains  of  the  English  and  Dutch 
ships  are  a  parcel  of  rash,  proud,  insolent  fellows,  that  neither  know  what  belongs 
to  justice,  nor  how  to  behave  themselves  as  the  laws  of  God  and  nature  direct ; 
but  being  proud  of  their  offices,  and  not  understanding  their  power,  they  would  act 
the  murderers  to  punish  robbers ;  would  take  upon  them  to  insult  men  falsely 
accused,  and  determine  them  guilty  without  due  inquiry ;  and  perhaps  I  may  live 
to  bring  some  of  them  to  account  for  it,  when  they  may  be  taught  how  justice  is 


A   BOAT    CAME    OFF  "    {p.   367). 


to  be  executed,  and  that  no  man  ought  to  be  treated  as  a  criminal  till  some 
evidence  may  be  had  of  the  crime,  and  that  he  is  the  man." 

With  this  I  told  him  that  this  was  the  very  ship  they  attacked,  and  gave  him 
a  full  account  of  the  skirmish  we  had  with  their  boats,  and  how  foolishly  and 
cowardly  they  behaved.  I  told  him  all  the  story  of  our  buying  the  ship,  and 
how  the  Dutchmen  served  us.  I  told  him  the  reasons  I  had  to  believe  the  story 
of  killing  the  master  by  the  Malayans  was  true,  as  also  the  running  away  with  the 
ship ;  but  it  was  all  a  fiction  of  their  own  to  suggest  that  the  men  had  turned 
pirates,  and  they  ought  to  have  been  sure  it  was  so  before  they  ventured  to 
attack  us  by  surprise,  and  oblige  us  to  resist  them ;  adding  that  they  would  have 
the  blood  of  those  men  whom  we  killed  there  in  just  defense  to  answer  for. 

The  old  man  was  amazed  at  this  relation,  and  told  us  we  were  very  much 
in  the  right  to  go  away  to  the  north ;  and  that,  if  he  might  advise  us,  it 
should  be  to  sell  the  ship  in  China,  which  we  might  very  well  do,  and  buy  or 
build  another  in  the  country.  "  And,"  said  he,  "  though  you  will  not  get  so 
good  a  ship,  yet  you  may  get  one  able  enough  to  carry  you  and  all  your  goods 


370  Robinson  Crusoe. 

back  again  to  Bengal,  or  anywhere  else."  I  told  him  I  would  take  his  advice 
when  I  came  to  any  port  where  I  could  find  a  ship  for  my  turn,  or  get  any 
customer  to  buy  this.  He  replied  I  should  meet  with  customers  enough  for  the 
ship  at  Nanquin,  and  that  a  Chinese  junk  would  serve  me  very  well  to  go  back 
again ;  and  that  he  would  procure  me  people  both  to  buy  one  and  sell  the  other. 
"Well,  but,  seignior,"  said  I,  "as  you  say  they  know  the  ship  so  well,  I  may, 
perhaps,  if  I  follow  your  measures,  be  instrumental  to  bring  some  honest,  innocent 
men  into  a  terrible  broil,  and  perhaps  to  be  murdered  in  cold  blood ;  for  wher- 
ever they  find  the  ship  they  will  prove  the  guilt  upon  the  men,  by  proving  this 
was  the  ship ;  and  so  innocent  men  may  probably  be  overpowered  and  murdered." 
"  Why,"  says  the  old  man,  "  I'll  find  out  a  way  to  prevent  that  also ;  for  as  I 
know  all  those  commanders  you  speak  of  very  well,  and  shall  see  them  all  as 
they  pass  by,  I  will  be  sure  to  set  them  to  rights  in  the  thing,  and  let  them 
know  that  they  had  been  so  much  in  the  wrong;  that  though  the  people  who 
were  on  board  at  first  might  run  away  with  the  ship,  yet  it  was  not  true  that 
they  had  turned  pirates ;  and  that,  in  particular,  these  were  not  the  men  that 
first  went  off  with  the  ship,  but  innocently  bought  her  for  their  trade ;  and  I  am 
persuaded  they  will  so  far  believe  me  as  at  least  to  act  more  cautiously  for  the 
time  to  come." 

While  these  things  were  passing  between  us,  by  way  of  discourse,  we  went 
forward  directly  for  Nanquin,  and  in  about  thirteen  days'  sail  came  to  an 
anchor  at  the  south-west  point  of  the  great  Gulf  of  Nanquin ;  where,  by  the 
way,  I  came  by  accident  to  understand  that  two  Dutch  ships  were  gone  the 
length  before  me,  and  that  I  should  certainly  fall  into  their  hands.  I  consulted 
my  partner  again  in  this  exigency,  and  he  was  as  much  at  a  loss  as  I  was,  and 
would  very  gladly  have  been  safe  on  shore  almost  anywhere ;  however*  I  was 
not  in  such  perplexity  neither,  but  I  asked  the  old  pilot  if  there  was  no  creek 
or  harbor  which  I  might  put  into  and  pursue  my  business  with  the  Chinese 
privately,  and  be  in  no  danger  of  the  enemy.  He  told  me  if  I  would  sail  to 
the  southward  about  forty-two  leagues,  there  was  a  little  port  called  Quinchang, 
where  the  fathers  of  the  mission  usually  landed  from  Macao,  on  their  progress 
to  teach  the  Christian  religion  to  the  Chinese,  and  where  no  European  ships 
ever  put  in ;  and  if  I  thought  to  put  in  there,  I  might  consider  what  farther 
course  to  take  when  I  was  on  shore.  He  confessed,  ffe  said,  it  was  not  a 
place  for  merchants,  except  that  at'  some  certain  times  they  had  a  kind  of  a 
fair  there,  when  the  merchants  from  Japan  came  over  thither  to  buy  Chinese 
merchandises. 

We  all  agreed  to  go  back  to  this  place ;  the  name  of  the  port,  as  he  called 
it,  I  may  perhaps  spell  wrong,  for  I  do  not  particularly  remember  it,  having 
lost  this,  together  with  the  names  of  many  other  places  set  down  in  a  little 
pocket-book,  which  was  spoiled  by  the  water  by  an  accident,  which  I  shall  relate 
in  its  order ;  but  this  I  remember,  that  the  Chinese  or  Japanese  merchants  we 
corresponded  with  called  it  by  a  different  name  from  that  which  our  Portuguese 
pilot  gave  it,  and  pronounced  it  as  above,  Quinchang. 


Bound  for  Quinchang.  371 

As  we  were  unanimous  in  our  resolution  to  go  to  this  place,  we  weighed  the 
next  day,  having  only  gone  twice  on  shore  where  we  were,  to  get  fresh  water ;  on 
both  which  occasions  the  people  of  the  country  were  very  civil  to  us,  and  brought 
abundance  of  things  to  sell  to  us ;  I  mean  of  provisions,  plants,  roots,  tea,  rice, 
and  some  fowls;   but. nothing  without  money. 

We  did  not  come  to  the  other  port  (the  wind  being  contrary)  for  five  days ; 
but  it  was  very  much  to  our  satisfaction ;  and  I  was  joyful,  and  I  may  say 
thankful,  when  I  set  my  foot  on  shore,  resolving,  and  my  partner  too,  that  if  it 
was  possible  to  dispose  of  ourselves  and  effects  any  other  way,  though  not  every 
way  to  our  satisfaction,  we  would  never  set  one  foot  on  board  that  unhappy  vessel 
more ;  and  indeed,  I  must  acknowledge,  that  of  all  the  circumstances  of  life  that 
ever  I  had  any  experience  of,  nothing  makes  mankind  so  completely  miserable  as 
that  of  being  in  constant  fear.  Well  does  the  Scripture  say,  "  The  fear  of  man 
bringeth  a  snare  : "  it  is  a  life  of  death,  and  the  mind  is  so  entirely  oppressed  by  it, 
that  it  is  capable  of  no  relief,  and  all  the  vigor  of  Nature  which  usually  supports 
men  under  other  afflictions,  and  is  present  with  them  in  the  greatest  exigencies, 
fails  them  here. 

Nor  did  it  fail  of  its  usual  operations  upon  the  fancy,  by  heightening  every 
danger ;  representing  the  English  and  Dutch  captains  to  be  men  incapable  of 
hearing  reason,  or  of  distinguishing  between  honest  men  and  rogues;  or  between  a 
story  calculated  for  our  own  turn,  made  out  of  nothing,  on  purpose  to  deceive, 
and  a  true  genuine  account  of  our  whole  voyage,  progress,  and  design  ;  for  we 
might  many  ways  have  convinced  any  reasonable  creature  that  we  were  not 
pirates ;  the  goods  we  had  on  board,  the  course  we  steered,  our  frankly  showing 
ourselves,  and  entering  into  such  and  such  ports ;  and  even  our  very  manner,  the 
force  we  had,  the  number  of  men,  the  few  arms,  the  little  ammunition,  short 
provisions ;  all  these  would  have  served  to  convince  any  men  that  we  were  no 
pirates.  The  opium  and  other  goods  we  had  on  board  would  make  it  appear  the 
ship  had  been  at  Bengal.  The  Dutchmen,  who,  it  was  said,  had  the  names  of  all 
the  men  that  were  in  the  ship,  might  easily  see  that  we  were  a  mixture  of  English, 
Portuguese,  and  Indians,  and  but  two  Dutchmen  on  board.  These,  and  many 
other  particular  circumstances,  might  have  made  it  evident  to  the  understanding  of 
any  commander,  whose  hands  we  might  fall  into,  that  we  were  no  pirates.  But 
fear,  that  blind,  useless  passion,  worked  another  way,  and  threw  us  into  the 
vapors ;  it  bewildered  our  understandings,  and  set  the  imagination  at  work  to  form 
a  thousand  terrible  things  that  perhaps  might  never  happen.  We  first  supposed, 
as  indeed  everybody  had  related  to  us,  that  the  seamen  on  board  the  English  and 
Dutch  ships,  but  especially  the  Dutch,  were  so  enraged  at  the  name  of  a  pirate, 
and  especially  at  our  beating  off  their  boats  and  escaping,  that  they  would  not 
give  themselves  leave  to  inquire  whether  we  were  pirates  or  no,  but  would  execute 
us  off  hand,  without  giving  us  any  room  for  a  defense.  We  reflected  that  there 
really  was  so  much  apparent  evidence  before  them,  that  they  would  scarce 
inquire  after  any  more  ;  as,  first,  that  the  ship  was  certainly  the  same,  and  that 
some  of   the   seamen  among  them  knew  her,  and  had  been  on  board  her ;    and, 


372 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


secondly,  that  when  we  had  intelligence  at  the  river  of  Cambodia  that  they  were 
coming  down  to  examine  us,  we  fought  their  boats  and  fled ;  so  that  we  made  no 
doubt  but  they  were  as  fully  satisfied  of  our  being  pirates  as  we  were  satisfied 
of  the  contrary;  and,  as  I  often  said,  I  know  not  but  I  should  have  been  apt 
to  have  taken  those  circumstances  for  evidence,  if  the  tables  were  turned,  and  my 
case  was  theirs ;  and  have  made  no  scruple  of  cutting  all  the  crew  to  pieces,  without 
believing,  or  perhaps  considering,  what  they  might  have  to  offer  in  their  defense. 


"brought  abundance  of  things  to  sell"  {p.  371). 


But  let  that  be  how  it  will,  these  were  our  apprehensions ;  and  both  my  partner 
and  I  scarce  slept  a  night  without  dreaming  of  halters  and  yard-arms,  that  is  to 
say,  gibbets ;  of  fighting,  and  being  taken  ;  of  killing,  and  being  killed ;  and  one 
night  I  was  in  such  a  fury  in  my  dream,  fancying  the  Dutchmen  had  boarded  us, 
and  I  was  knocking  one  of  their  seamen  down,  that  I  struck  my  double  fist 
against  the  side  of  the  cabin  I  lay  in  with  such  a  force  as  wounded  my  hand 
grievously,  broke  my  knuckles,  and  cut  and  bruised  the  flesh,  so  that  it  awaked 
me  out  of  my  sleep. 

Another  apprehension  I  had  was,  the  cruel  usage  we  might  meet  with  from  them 
if  we  fell  into  their  hands ;   then  the  story  of  Amboyna  came  into  my  head,  and  how 


Anxious  Meditations.  373 

the  Dutch  might  perhaps  torture  us,  as  they  did  our  countrymen  there,  and  make 
some  of  our  men,  by  extremity  of  torture,  confess  those  crimes  they  never  were 
guilty  of,  or  own  themselves  and  all  of  us  to  be  pirates,  and  so  they  would  put 
us  to  death  with  a  formal  appearance  of  justice ;  and  that  they  might  be  tempted 
to  do  this  for  the  gain  of  our  ship  and  cargo,  which  was  worth  four  or  five  thou- 
sand pounds  altogether. 

These  things  tormented  me,  and  my  partner  too,  night  and  day ;  nor  did  we 
consider  that  the  captains  of  ships  had  no  authority  to  act  thus;  and  if  we  had 
surrendered  prisoners  to  them,  they  could  not  answer  the  destroying  us,  or  tor- 
turing us,  but  would  be  accountable  for  it  when  they  came  to  their  country ;  this, 
I  say,  gave  me  no  satisfaction ;  for  if  they  were  to  act  thus  with  us,  what  advan- 
tage would  it  be  to  us  that  they  should  be  called  to  an  account  for  it?  or  if 
we  were  first  to  be  murdered,  what  satisfaction  would  it  be  to  us  to  have,  them 
punished  when  they  came  home? 

I  cannot  refrain  taking  notice  here  what  reflections  I  now  had  upon  the  vast 
variety  of  my  particular  circumstances ;  how  hard  I  thought  it  was  that  I,  who 
had  spent  forty  years  in  a  life  of  continual  difficulties,  and  was  at  last  come,  as 
it  were,  to  the  port  or  haven  which  all  men  drive  at,  viz.,  to  have  rest  and 
plenty,  should  be  a  volunteer  in  new  sorrows  by  my  own  unhappy  choice ;  and 
that  I,  who  had  escaped  so  many  dangers  in  my  youth,  should  now  come  to  be 
hanged  in  my  old  age,  and  in  so  remote  a  place,  for  a  crime  which  I  was  not 
in  the  least  inclined  to,  much  less  guilty  of. 

After  these  thoughts,  something  of  religion  would  come  in";  and  I  would  be 
considering  that  this  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  disposition  of  immediate  Providence, 
and  I  ought  to  look  upon  it  and  submit  to  it  as  such ;  that  although  I  was 
innocent  as  to  men,  I  was  far  from  being  innocent  as  to  my  Maker;  and  I 
ought  to  look  in  and  examine  what  other  crimes  in  my  life  were  most  obvious 
to  me,  and  for  which  Providence  might  justly  inflict  this  punishment  as  a  retri- 
bution ;  and  that  I  ought  to  submit  to  this  just  as  I  would  to  a  shipwreck, 
if  it  had  pleased  God  to  have  brought  such  a  disaster  upon  me. 

In  its  turn,  natural  courage  would  sometimes  take  its  place,  and  then  I  would 
be  talking  myself  up  to  vigorous  resolutions ;  that  I  would  not  be  taken  to  be 
barbarously  used  by  a  parcel  of  merciless  wretches  in  cold  blood ;  that  it  were 
much  better  to  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  savages,  though  I  was  sure  they 
would  feast  upon  me  when  they  had  taken  me,  than  those  who  would  perhaps 
glut  their  rage  upon  me  by  inhuman  tortures  and  barbarities ;  that  in  the  case  of  the 
savages,  I  always  resolved  to  die  fighting  to  the  last  gasp,  and  why  should  I  not 
do  so  now,  seeing  it  was  much  more  dreadful,  to  me  at  least,  to  think  of  falling 
into  these  men's  hands,  than  ever  it  was  to  think  of  being  esien  by  men?  for  the 
savages,  give  them  their  due,  would  not  eat  a  man  till  he  was  killed  and  dead, 
but  these  men  had  many  arts  beyond  the  cruelty  of  death.  Whenever  these 
thoughts  prevailed,  I  was  sure  to  put  myself  into  a  kind  of  fever  with  the  agita- 
tion of  a  supposed  fight ;  my  blood  would  boil,  and  my  eyes  sparkle,  as  if  I  was 
engaged,  and  I  always  resolved  to  take  no  quarter  at  their  hands ;   but  even,  at 


374  Robinson  Crusoe. 

last,  if  I  could  resist  no  longer,  I  would  blow  up  the  ship  and  all  that  was  in 
her,  and  leave  them  but  little  booty  to  boast  of. 

The  greater  weight  the  anxieties  and  perplexities  of  these  things  were  to  our 
thoughts  while  we  were  at  sea,  the  greater  was  our  satisfaction  when  we  saw 
ourselves  on  shore ;  and  my  partner  told  me  he  dreamed  that  he  had  a  very 
heavy  -load  upon  his  back,  which  he  was  to  carry  up  a  hill,  and  found  that  he 
was  not  able  to  stand  longer  under  it;  but  that  the  Portuguese  pilot  came  and 
took  it  off  his  back,  and  the  hill  disappeared,  the  ground  before  him  appearing 
all  smooth  and  plain :  and  truly  it  was  so ;  they  were  all  like  men  who  had  a 
load  taken  off  their  backs.  For  my  part,  I  had  a  weight  taken  off  my  heart  that 
it  was  not  able  any  longer  to  bear ;  and  as  I  said  above,  we  resolved  to  go  no 
more  to  sea  in  that  ship.  When  we  came  on  shore,  the  old  pilot,  who  was  now 
our  friend,  got  us  a  lodging  and  a  warehouse  for  our  goods,  which,  by  the  way, 
was  much  the  same ;  it  was  a  little  house,  or  hut,  with  a  larger  house  adjoining 
to  it,  all  built  with  canes,  and  palisadoed  round  with  large  canes,  to  keep  out 
pilfering  thieves,  of  which,  it  seems,  there  were  not  a  few  in  that  country:  however, 
the  magistrates  allowed  us  a  little  guard,  and  we  had  a  soldier  with  a  kind  of 
halbert,  or  half -pike,  who  stood  sentinel  at  our  door ;  to  whom  we  allowed  a  pint 
of  rice,  and  a  little  piece  of  money,  about  the  value  of  threepence,  per  day,  so 
that  our  goods  were  kept  very  safe. 

The  fair,  or  mart,  usually  kept  at  this  place,  had  been  over  some  time  :  however, 
we  found  that  there  were  three  or  four  junks  in  the  river,  and  two  Japanners,  I  mean 
ships  from  Japan,  with  goods  which  they  had  bought  in  China,  and  were  not  gone 
away,  having  some  Japanese  merchants  on  shore. 

The  first  thing  our  old  Portuguese  pilot  did  for  us  was,  to  get  us  acquainted 
with  three  missionary  Romish  priests  who  were  in  the  town,  and  who  had  been 
there  some  time  converting  the  people  to  Christianity ;  but  we  thought  they  made 
but  poor  work  of  it,  and  made  them  but  sorry  Christians  when  they  had  done  : 
however,  that  was  none  of  our  business.  One  of  these  was  a  Frenchman,  whom 
they  called  Father  Simon ;  another  was  a  Portuguese ;  and  a  third  a  Genoese ; 
Father  Simon  was  courteous,  easy  in  his  manner,  and  very  agreeable  company ; 
the  other  two  were  more  reserved,  seemed  rigid  and  austere,  and  applied  seriously 
to  the  work  they  came  about,  viz.,  to  talk  with  and  insinuate  themselves  among 
the  inhabitants,  whenever  they  had  opportunity.  We  often  ate  and  drank  with 
those  men ;  and  though,  I  must  confess,  the  conversion,  as  they  call  it,  of  the 
Chinese  to  Christianity  is  so  far  from  the  true  conversion  required  to  bring 
heathen  people  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  that  it  seems  to  amount  to  little  more  than 
letting  them  know  the  name  of  Christ,  and  say  some  prayers  to  the  Virgin  Mary 
and  her  Son,  in  a  :cngue  which  they  understand  not,  and  to  cross  themselves 
and  the  like ;  yet  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  religionists,  whom  we  call 
missionaries,  have  a  firm  belief  that  these  people  will  be  saved,  and  that  they  are 
the  instruments  of  it ;  and  on  this  account,  they  undergo  not  only  the  fatigue  of 
the  voyage,  and  the  hazards  of  living  in  such  places,  but  oftentimes  death  itself, 
and  the  most  violent  tortures,  for  the  sake  of  this  work. 


Father  Simon.  375 

But  to  return  to  my  story : — This  French  priest,  Father  Simon,  was  appointed, 
it  seems,  by  order  of  the  chief  of  the  mission,  to  go  up  to  Pekin,  the  royal  seat 
of  the  Chinese  emperor,  and  waited  only  for  another  priest,  who  was  ordered  to 
come  to  him  from  Macao,  to  go  along  with  him ;  and  we  scarce  ever  met 
together  but  he  was  inviting  me  to  go  that  journey ;  telling  me  how  he  would 
show  me  all  the  glorious  things  of  that  mighty  empire,  and,  among  the  rest,  the 
greatest-  city  in  the  world ;  "  a  city,"  said  he,  "  that  your  London  and  our  Paris 
put  together  cannot  be  equal  to."  This  was  the  city  of  Pekin,  which,  I  confess, 
is  very  great,  and  infinitely  full  of  people ;  but,  as  I  looked  on  those  things  with 
different  eyes  from  those  of  other  men,  so  I  shall  give  my  opinion  of  them  in  a 
few  words,  when  I  come  in  the  course  of  my  travels  to  speak  more  particularly  of 
them.  * 

But  first,  I  come  to  my  friar  or  missionary.  Dining  with  him  one  day,'  and 
being  very  merry  together,  I  showed  some  little  inclination  to  go  with  him ;  and 
he  pressed  me  and  my  partner  very  hard,  and  with  a  great  many  persuasions,  to 
consent.  "  Why,  Father  Simon,"  says  my  partner,  "  should  *you  desire  our 
company  so  much?  you  know  we  are  heretics,  and  you  do  not  love  us,  nor 
cannot  keep  us  company  with  any  pleasure."  "Oh,"  says  he,  "you  may  perhaps 
be  good  Catholics  in  time ;  my  business  here  is  to  convert  heathens,  and  who 
knows  but  I  may  convert  you  too?  "  "Very  well,  Father,"  said  I,  "so  you  will 
preach  to  us  all  the  way?  "  "I  will  not  be  troublesome  to  you,"  says  he;  "our 
religion  does  not  divest  us  of  good  manners ;  besides,  we  are  here  like  country- 
men;  and  so  we  are  compared  to  the  place  we  are  in;,  and  if  you  are  Huguenots 
and  I  a  Catholic,  we  may  all  be  Christians  at  last ;  at  least  we  are  all  gentlemen 
and  we  may  converse  so,  without  being  uneasy  to  one  another."  I  liked  this 
part  of  his  discourse  very  well,  and  it  began  to  put  me  in  mind  of  my  priest 
that  I  had  left  in  the  Brazils ;  but  this  Father  Simon  did  not  come  up  to  his 
character  by  a  great  deal;  for  though  Father  Simon  had  no  appearance  of  a 
criminal  levity  in  him,  yet  he  had  not  that  fund  of  Christian  zeal,  strict  piety,  and 
sincere  affection  to  religion,  that  my  other  good  ecclesiastic  had. 

But  to  leave  him  a  little,  although  he  never  left  us,  nor  soliciting  us  to  go 
with  him ;  we  had  something  else  before  us  at  first,  for  we  had  all  this  while 
our  ship  and  our  merchandise  to  dispose  of,  and  we  began  to  be  very  doubtful 
what  we  should  do,  for  we  were  now  in  a  place  of  very  little  business ;  and  once 
I  was  about  to  venture  to  sail  for  the  river  of  Kilam,  and  the  city  of  Nanquin  ; 
but  Providence  seemed  now  more  visibly,  as  I  thought,  than  ever,  to  concern  itself 
in  our  affairs ;  and  I  was  encouraged,  from  this  very  time,  to  think  I  should,  one 
way  or  other,  get  out  of  this  entangled  circumstance,  and  be  brought  home  to 
my  own  country  again,  though  I  had  not4he  least  view  of  the  manner.  Provi- 
dence, I  say,  began  here  to  clear  up  our  way  a  little ;  and  the  first  thing  that 
offered  was,  our  old  Portuguese  pilot  brought  a  Japan  merchant  to  us,  who 
inquired  what  goods  we  had ;  and,  in  the  first  place,  he  bought  all  our  opium, 
and  gave  us  a  very  good  price  for  it,  paying  us  in  gold  by  weight,  some  small 
pieces   of  their  own  coin,  and   some    in    small   wedges,    of   about    ten    or   twelve 


376  Robinson  Crusoe. 

ounces  each.  While  we  were  dealing  with  him  for  our  opium,  it  came  into  my 
head  that  he  might  perhaps  deal  for  the  ship,  too,  and  I  ordered  the  interpreter 
to  propose  it  to  him ;  he  shrunk  up  his  shoulders  at  it,  when  it  was  first 
proposed  to  him  ;  but  in  a  few  days  after  he  Came  to  me,  with  one  of  the 
missionary  priests  for  his  interpreter,  and  told  me  he  had  a  proposal  to  make  to 
me,  which  was  this :  he  had  bought  a  great  quantity  of  goods  of  us,  when  he 
had  no  thoughts  of  proposals  made  to  him  of  buying  the  ship;  and -that, 
therefore,  he  had  not  money  to  pay  for  the  ship ;  but  if  I  would  let  the  same 
men  who  were  in  the  ship  navigate  her,  he  would  hire  the  ship  to  go  to  Japan ; 
and  would  send  them  from  thence  to  the  Philippine  Islands  with  another  loading, 
which  he  would  pay  the  freight  of  before  they  went  from  Japan  ;  and  that  at  their 
return  he  would  buy  the  ship.  I  began  to  listen  to  this  proposal,  and  so  eager 
did  my  head  still  run  upon  rambling,  that  I  could  not  but  begin  to  entertain  a 
notion  of  going  myself  with  him,  and  so  to  set  sail  from  the  Philippine  Islands 
away  to  the  South  Seas ;  accordingly,  I  asked  the  Japanese  merchant  if  he  would 
not  hire  us  to  tfe  Philippine  Islands  and  discharge  us  there.  He  said  no,  he 
could  not  do  that,  for  then  he  could  not  have  the  return  of  his  cargo ;  but  he 
would  discharge  us  in  Japan,  at  the  ship's  return.  "Well,  still  I  was  for  taking 
him  at  that  proposal,  and  going  myself ;  but  my  partner,  wiser  than  myself, 
persuaded  me  from  it,  representing  the  dangers  as  well  of  the  seas  as  of  the 
Japanese,  who  are  a  false,  cruel,  and  treacherous  people ;  likewise  those  of  the 
Spaniards  at  the  Philippines,  more  false,  cruel,  and  treacherous  than  they. 

But  to  bring  this  long  turn  of  our  affairs  to  a  conclusion ;  the  first  thing  we 
had  to  do  was,  to  consult  with  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  with  his  men,  and 
know  if  they  were  willing  to  go  to  Japan  ;  and  while  I  was  doing  this,  the  young 
man  whom  my  nephew  had  left  with  me  as  my  companion  for  my  travels  came  to 
me,  and  told  me  that  he  thought  that  voyage  promised  very  fair,  and  that  there  was 
a  great  prospect  of  advantage,  and  he  would  be  very  glad  if  I  undertook  it ;  but 
that  if  I  would  not,  and  would  give  him  leave,  he  would  go  as  a  merchant,  or 
as  I  pleased  to  order  him ;  that  if  ever  he  came  to  England,  and  I  was  there  and 
alive,  he  would  render  me  a  faithful  account  of  his  success,  which  should  be  as 
much  mine  as  I  pleased.  I  was  really  loth  to  part  with  him ;  but  considering  the 
prospect  of  advantage,  which  really  was  considerable,  and  that  he  was  a  young 
fellow  as  likely  to  do  well  in  it  as  any  I  knew,  I  inclined  to  let  him  go ;  but  I 
told  him  I  would  consult  my  partner,  and  give  him  an  answer  the  next  day.  My 
partner  and  I  discoursed  about  it,  and  my  partner  made  a  most  generous  offer: 
"  You  know  it  has  been  an  unlucky  ship,"  said  he,  "  and  we  both  resolve  not  to 
go  to  sea  in  it  again ;  if  your  steward  "  (so  he  called  my  man)  "  will  venture  the 
voyage,  I  will  leave  my  share  of  the  vessel  to  him,  and  let  him  make  the  best 
of  it ;  and  if  we  live  to  meet  in  England,  and  he  meets  with  success  abroad,  he 
shall  account  for  one  half  of  the  profits  of  the  ship's  freight  to  us ;  the  other  shall 
be  his  own." 

If  my  partner,  who  was  no  way  concerned  with  my  young  man,  made  him 
such  an  offer,   I   could  do  no   less   than   offer   him   the   same ;    and   all   the   ship's 


In  China.  377 

company  being  willing  to  go  with  him,  we  made  over  half  the  ship  to  him  in 
property,  and  took  a  writing  from  him,  obliging  him  to  account  for  the  other, 
and  away  he  went  to  Japan.  The  Japan  merchant  proved  a  very  punctual,  honest 
man  to  him ;  protected  him  at  Japan,  and  got  him  a  license  to  come  on  shore, 
which  the  Europeans  in  general  have  not  lately  obtained ;  paid  him  his  freight 
very  punctually ;  sent  him  to  the  Philippines,  loaded  with  Japan  and  China  wares, 
and  a.  supercargo  of  their  own  who,  trafficking  with  the  Spaniards,  brought  back 
European  goods  again,  and  a  great  quantity  of  cloves  and  other  spices ;  and  there 
he  was  not  only  paid  his  freight  very  well,  and  at  a  very  good  price,  but  not 
being  willing  to  sell  the  ship  then,  the  merchant  furnished  him  goods  on  his  own 
account ;  and  with  some  money,  and  some  spices  of  his  own  which  he  brought 
with  him,  he,  went  back  to  the  Manillas  to  the  Spaniards,  where  he  sold  his 
cargo  very  well.  Here,  having  got  a  good  acquaintance  at  Manilla,  he  got  his 
ship  made  a  free  ship,  and  the  governor  of  Manilla  hired  him  to  go  to  Acapulco, 
in  America,  on  the  coast  of  Mexico,  and  gave  him  a  license  to  land  here,  and 
to  travel  to  Mexico,  and  to  pass  in  any  Spanish,  ship  to  Europe  with  all  his  men. 
He  made  the  voyage  to  Acapulco  very  happily,  and  there  he  sold  his  ship ; 
and  having  there  also  obtained  allowance  to  travel  by  land  to  Porto  Bello,  he 
found  means,  somehow  or  other,  to  get  to  Jamaica  with  all  his  treasure ;  and 
about  eight  years  after  came  to  England,  exceeding  rich ;  of  which  I  shall  take 
notice  in  its  place ;   in  the  meantime  I  return  to  our  particular  affairs. 

Being  now  to  part  with  the  ship  and  ship's  company,  it  came  before  us,  of 
course,  to  consider  what  recompense  we  should  give  to  the  two  men  that  gave  us 
such  timely  notice  of  the  design  against  us  in  the  river  Cambodia.  The  truth  was, 
they  had 'done  us  a  very  considerable  service,  and  deserved  well  at  our  hands; 
though,  by  the  way,  they  were  a  couple  of  rogues  too ;  for,  as  they  believed  the 
story  of  our  being  pirates,  and  that  we  had  really  run  away  with  the  ship,  they 
came  down  to  us,  not  only  to  betray  the  design  that  was  formed  against  us,  but 
to  go  to  sea  with  us  as  pirates ;  and  one  of  them  confessed  afterwards  that  nothing 
else  but  the  hopes  of  going  a-roguing  brought  him  to  do  it ;  however,  the  service 
they  did  us  was  not  the  less,  and  therefore,  as  I  had  promised  to  be  grateful  to 
them,  I  first  ordered  the  money  to  be  paid  them  which  they  said  was  due  to  them 
on  board  their  respective  ships ;  over  and  above  that,  I  gave  each  of  them  a  small 
sum  of  money  in  gold,  which  contented  them  very  well ;  then  I  made  the  English- 
man gunner  in  the  ship,  the  gunner  being  now  made  second  mate  and  purser ; 
the  Dutchman  I  made  boatswain ;  so  they  were  both  very  well  pleased,  and  proved 
very  serviceable,  being  both  able  seamen,  and  very  stout  fellows. 

We  were  now  on  shore  in  China :  if  I  thought  myself  banished,  and  remote 
from  my  own  country  at  Bengal,  where  I  had  many  ways  to  get  home  for  my 
money,  what  could  I  think  of  myself  now,  when  I  was  got  about  a  thousand 
leagues  farther  off  from  home,  and  perfectly  destitute  of  all  manner  of  prospect  of 
return?  All  we  had  for  it  was  this,  that  in  about  four  months'  time  there  was  to 
be  another  fair  at  the  place  where  we  were,  and  then  we  might  be  able  to  pur- 
chase all  sorts  of  the  manufactures  of  the  country,  and  withal  might  possibly  find 


378  Robinson  Crusoe. 

some  Chinese  junks  or  vessels  from  Tonquin  that  would  be  to  be  sold,  and  would 
carry  us  and  our  goods  whither  we  pleased.  This  I  liked  very  well,  and  resolved 
to  wait ;  besides,  as  our  particular  persons  were  not  obnoxious,  so  if  any  English 
or  Dutch  ships  came  thither,  perhaps  we  might  have  an  opportunity  to  load  our 
goods,  and  get  passage  to  some  other  place  in  India  nearer  home.  Upon  these 
'  hopes,  we  resolved  to  continue  here ;  but,  to  divert  ourselves,  we  took  two  or 
three  journeys  into  the  country.  First,  we  went  ten  days'  journey  to  the  city  of 
Nanquin,  a  city  well  worth  seeing,  indeed ;  they  say  it  has  a  million  of  people 
in  it ;  it  is  regularly  built,  the  streets  all  exactly  straight,  and  cross  one  another 
in  direct  lines,  which  gives  the  figure  of  it  great  advantage.  But  when  I  come 
to  compare  the  miserable  people  of  these  countries  with  ours,  their  fabrics,  their 
manner  of  living,  their  government,  their  religion,  their  wealth,  and  their  glory, 
as  some  call  it,  I  must  confess  that  I  scarcely  think  it  worth  my  while  to  men- 
tion them  here.  It  is  very  observable  that  we  wonder  at  the  grandeur,  the  riches, 
the  pomp,  the  ceremonies,  the  government,  the  manufactures,  the  commerce,  and 
conduct  of  these  people ;  not  that  it  is  to  be  wondered  at,  or,  indeed,  in 
the  least  to  be  regarded,  but  because,  having  a  true  notion  of  the  barbarity  of 
those  countries,  the  rudeness  and  the  ignorance  that  prevail  there,  we  do  not 
expect  to  find  any  such  thing  so  far  off.  Otherwise,  what  are  their  buildings  to 
the  palaces  and  royal  buildings  of  Europe?  What  their  trade  to  the  universal 
commerce  of  England,  Holland,  France,  and  Spain?  What  are  their  cities  to 
ours  for  wealth,  strength,  gayety  of  apparel,  rich  furniture,  and  infinite  variety? 
What  are  their  ports,  supplied  with  a  few  junks  and  barks,  to  our  navigation, 
our  merchant  fleets,  our  large  and  powerful  navies?  Our  city  of  London  has 
more  trade  than  half  their  mighty  empire ;  one  English,  Dutch,  or  French  man- 
of-war  of  eighty  guns  would  be  able  to  fight  almost  all  the  shipping  belonging 
to  China;  but  the  greatness  of  their  wealth,  their  trade,  the  power  of  their 
government,  and  the  strength  of  their  armies,  may  be  a  little  surprising  to  us, 
because,  as  I  have  said,  considering  them  as  a  barbarous  nation  of  Pagans,  little 
better  than  savages,  we  did  riot  expect  such  things  among  them ;  and  this,  indeed, 
is  the  advantage  with  which  all  their  greatness  and  power  is  represented  to  us ; 
otherwise,  it  is  in  itself  nothing  at  all ;  for  what  I  have  said  of  their  ships  may 
be  said  of  their  armies  and  troops ;  all  the  forces  of  their  empire,  though  they 
were  to  bring  two  millions  of  men  into  the  field  together,  would  be  able  to  do 
nothing  but  ruin  the  country,  and  starve  themselves,  if  they  were  to  besiege  a 
strong  town  in  Flanders,  or  to  fight  a  disciplined  army ;  one  good  line  of  German 
cuirassiers,  or  of  French  cavalry,  might  withstand  all  the  horse  of  China;  a 
million  of  their  foot  would  not  stand  before  one  embattled  body  of  our  infantry, 
posted  so  as  not  to  be  surrounded,,  though  they  were  not  to  be  one  to  twenty 
in  number ;  nay,  I  do  not  boast  if  I  say  that  thirty  thousand  German  or  English 
foot,  and  ten  thousand  horse,  well  managed,  could  defeat  all  the  forces  of  China. 
And  so  of  our  fortified  towns,  and  of  the  art  of  our  engineers  in  assaulting  and 
defending  towns ;  there  is  not  a  fortified  town  in  China  could  hold  out  one 
month  against  the  batteries  and  attacks  of  an  European  army;   and,  at  the  same 


We  Set  Out  for  Pekin.  379 

time,  all  the  armies  of  China  could  never  take  such  a  town  as  Dunkirk, 
provided  it  was  not  starved ;  no,  not  in  ten  years'  siege.  They  had  fire-arms, 
it  is  true,  but  they  are  awkward  and  uncertain  in  their  going  off;  and  their 
powder  has  but  little  strength.  Their  armies  are  badly  disciplined,  and  want  skill 
to  attack,  or  temper  to  retreat ;  and  therefore,  I  must  confess,  it  seemed  strange 
to  me,  when  I  came  home,  and  heard  our  people  say  such  fine  things  of  the 
power,  glory,  magnificence,  and  trade  of  the  Chinese ;  because,  as  far  as  I  saw, 
they  appeared  to  be  a  contemptible  herd  or  crowd  of  ignorant,  sordid  slaves, 
subjected  to  a  government  qualified  only  to  rule  such  a  people ;  and  were  not 
its  distance  inconceivably  great  from  Muscovy,  and  the  Muscovite  empire  in  a 
manner  as  rude,  impotent,  and  ill  governed  as  they,  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  might 
with  ease  drive  them  all  out  of  their  country,  and  conquer  them  in  one  campaign ; 
and  had  the  Czar  (who  is  now  a  growing  prince)  fallen ,  this  way,  instead  of 
attacking  the  warlike  Swedes,  and  equally  improved  himself  in  the  art  of  war,  as 
they  say  he  has  done,  and  if  none  of  the  powers  of  Europe  had  envied  or 
interrupted  him,  he  might  by  this  time  have  been  Emperor  of  China,  instead  of 
being  beaten  by  the  King  of  Sweden  at  Narva,  when  the  latter  was  not  one  to 
six  in  number.  As  their  strength  and  their  grandeur,  so  their  navigation, 
commerce,  and  husbandry,  are  very  imperfect,  compared  to  the  same  things  in 
Europe ;  also,  in  their  knowledge,  their  learning,  and  in  their  skill  in  the  sciences, 
they  are  either  very  awkward  or  defective,  though  they  have  globes  or  spheres, 
and  a  smattering  of  the  mathematics,  and  think  they  know  more  than  all  the 
world  besides ;  but  they  know  little  of  the  motions  of  the  heavenly  bodies ; 
and  so  grossly  and  absurdly  ignorant  are  their  common  people,  that  when  the 
sun  is  eclipsed,  they  think  a  great  dragon  has  assaulted  it,  and  is  going  to  run 
away  with  it ;  and  they  fall  a  clattering  with  all  the  drums  and  kettles  in  the 
country,  to  fright  the  monster  away,  just  as  we  do  to  hive  a  swarm  of  bees. 

As  this  is  the  only  excursion  of  the  kind  which  I  have  made  in  all  the 
accounts  I  have  given  of  my  travels,  so  I  shall  make  no  more  such ;  it  is  none 
of  my  business,  nor  any  part  of  my  design ;  but  to  give  an  account  of  my  own 
adventures  through  a  life  of  inimitable  wanderings,  and  a  long  variety  of  changes, 
which,  perhaps,  few  that  come  after  me  will  have  heard  the  like  of ;  I  shall  there- 
fore say  very  little  of  all  the  mighty  places,  desert  countries,  and  numerous  people 
I  have  yet  to  pass  through,  more  than  relates  to  my  own  story,  and  which  my" 
concern  among  them  make  necessary. 

I  was  now,  as  near  as  I  can  compute,  in  the  heart  of  China,  about  thirty 
degrees  north  of  the  line,  for  we  were  returned  to  Nanquin,  I  had,  indeed,  a 
mind  to  see  the  city  of  Pekin,  which  I  had  heard  so  much  of,  and  Father  Simon 
importuned  me  daily  to  do  it.  At  length  his  time  of  going  away  being  set,  and 
the  other  missionary  who  was  to  go  with  him  being  arrived  from  Macao,  it  was 
necessary  that  we  should  resolve  either  to  go,  or  not ;  so  I  referred  it  wholly  to 
my  partner,  and  left  it  wholly  to  his  choice,  who  at  length  resolved  it  in  the 
affirmative,  and  we  prepared  for  our  journey.  We  set  out  with  very  good  advan- 
tage, as  to  finding  the  way ;   for  we  got  leave  to  travel  in  the  retinue  of  one  of 


38o 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


their  mandarins,  a  kind  of  viceroy  or  principal  magistrate  in  the  province  where 
they  reside,  and  who  take  great  state  upon  them,  traveling  with  great  attendance, 
and  great  homage  from  the  people,  who  are  sometimes  greatly  impoverished  by 
them,  being  obliged  to  furnish  provisions  for  them  and  all  their  attendants  in 
their    journeys.     That    which   I    particularly    observed    in    our    traveling    with    hi* 


"he  came  to  me  with  one  of  the  missionary  priests"  (/.  376). 


baggage,  was  this,  that  though  we  received  sufficient  provisions  both  for  ourselves 
and  our  horses  from  the  country,  as  belonging  to  the  mandarin,  yet  we  were 
obliged  to  pay  for  everything  we  had,  after  the  market  price  of  the  country,  and 
the  mandarin's  steward  collected  it  duly  from  us ;  so  that  our  traveling  in  the 
retinue  of  the  mandarin,  though  it  was  a  very  great  kindness  to  us,  was  not  such 
a  mighty  favor  in  him,  but  was  a  great  advantage  to  him,  considering  there 
were  above  thirty  other  people  traveled  in  the  same  manner  besides  us,  under 
the  protection  of  his  retinue ;  for  the  country  furnished  all  the  provisions  for 
nothing  to  him,  and  yet  he  took  our  money  for  them. 


On  the  Way  to  Pekin.  381 

We  were  twenty-five  days  traveling  to  Pekin,  through  a  country  infinitely 
populous,  but  I  think  badly  cultivated ;  the  husbandry,  the  economy,  and  the 
way  of  living  miserable,  though  they  boast  so  much  of  the  industry  of  the  people ; 
I  say  miserable,  if  compared  with  our  own,  but  not  so  to  these  poor  wretches, 
who  know  no  other.  The  pride  of  the  people  is  infinitely  great,  and  exceeded 
by  nothing  but  their  poverty,  in  some  parts,  which  adds  to  ,that  which  I  call 
their  misery ;  and  I  must  needs  think  the  native  savages  of  America  live  much 
more  happy  than  the  poorer  sort  of  these,  because  as  they  have  nothing,  so  they 
desire  nothing ;  whereas,  these  are  proud  and  insolent,  and  in  the  main  are  in 
many  parts  mere  beggars  and  drudges ;  their  ostentation  is  inexpressible ;  and,  if 
they  can,  they  love  to  keep  multitudes  of  servants  or  slaves,  which  is  to  the  last 
degree  ridiculous,  as  well  as  the  contempt  of  all  the  world  but  themselves. 

I  mus!  confess  I  traveled  more  pleasantly  afterwards  in  the  deserts  and  vast 
wildernesses  of  Grand  Tartary  than  here,  and  yet  the  roads  here  are  well  paved 
and  well  kept,  and  very  convenient  for  travelers ;  but  nothing  was  more  awkward 
to  me  than  to  see  such  a  haughty,  imperious, .  insolent  people,  in  the  midst  of 
the  grossest  simplicity  and  ignorance ;  and  my  friend  Father  Simon  and  I  used 
to  be  very  merry  upon  these  occasions,  to  see  the  beggarly  pride  of  these  people. 
For  example,  coming  by  the  house  of  a  country  gentleman,  as  Father  Simon  called 
him,  about  ten  leagues  off  the  city  of  Nanquin,  we  had  first  of  all  the 
honor  to  ride  with  the  master  of  the  house  about  two  miles ;  «the  state  he  rode 
in  was  a  perfect  Don  Quixotism,  being  a  mixture  of  pomp  and  poverty.  His 
habit  was  very  proper  for  a  scaramouch,  or  merry-andrew,  be'ing  a  dirty  calico, 
with  hanging  sleeves,  tassels,  and  cuts  and  slashes  almost  on  every  side :  it 
covered  -a  taffety  vest,  as  greasy  as  a  butcher's,  and  which  testified  that  his  honor 
must  be  a  most  exquisite  sloven.  His  horse  was  but  a  poor,  starved,  hobbling 
creature,  and  he  had  two  slaves  followed  him  on  foot  to  drive  the  poor  creature 
along ;  he  had  a  whip  in  his  hand,  and  he  belabored  the  beast  as  fast  about 
the  head  as  his  slaves  did  about  the  tail ;  and  thus  he  rode  by  us,  with  about 
ten  or  twelve  servants,  going  from  the  city  to  his  country  seat  about  half  a 
league  before  us.  We  traveled  on  gently,  but  this  figure  of  a  gentleman  rode 
away  before  us ;  and  as  we  stopped  at  a  village  about  an  hour  to  refresh  us, 
when  we  came  by  the  country  seat  of  this  great  man,  we  saw  him  in  a  little 
place  before  his  door,  eating  a  repast.  It  was  a  kind  of  garden,  but  he  was 
easy  to  be  seen ;  and  we  were  given  to  understand  that  the  more  we  looked  at 
him  the  better  he  would  be  pleased.  He  sat  under  a  tree,  something  like  the 
palmetto,  which  effectually  shaded  him  over  the  head,  and  on  the  south  side ; 
but  under  the  tree  was  placed  a  large  umbrella,  which  made  that  part  look  well 
enough.  He  sat  lolling  back  in  a  great  elbow-chair,  being  a  heavy,  corpulent 
man,  and  had  his  meat  brought  him  by  two  women  slaves.  He  had  two  more, 
one  of  whom  fed  the  squire  with  a  spoon,  and  the  other  held  the  dish  with 
one  hand,  and  scraped  off  what  he  let  fall  upon  his  worship's  beard  and  taffety 
vest. 

Thus  leaving  the  poor  wretch  to  please  himself  with  our  looking  at  him,  as  if 


382  Robinson  Crusoe,    . 

we  admired  his  pomp,  though  we  really  pitied  and  contemned  him,  we  pursued 
our  journey ;  only  Father  Simon  had  the  curiosity  to  stay  to  inform  himself 
what  dainties  the  country  justice  had  to  feed  on  in  all  his  state,  which  he  had 
the  honor  to  taste  of,  and  which  was,  I  think,  a  mess  of  boiled  rice,  with  a 
great  piece  of  garlic  in  it,  and  a  little  bag  filled  with  green  pepper,  and  another 
plant  which  they  have  there,  something  like  our  ginger,  but  smelling  like  musk, 
and  tasting  like  mustard ;  all  this  was  put  together,  and  a  small  piece  of  lean 
mutton  boiled  in  it,  and  this  was  his  worship's  repast,  Four  or  five  servants  more 
attended  at  a  distance,  who  we  supposed  were  to  eat  of  the  same  after  their 
master. 

As  for  our  mandarin  with  whom  we  traveled,  he  was  respected  as  a  king, 
surrounded  always  with  his  gentlemen,  and  attended  in  all  his  appearances  with 
such  pomp,  that  I  saw  little  of  him  but  at  a  distance.  But  this  I  observed,  that 
there  was  not  a  horse  in  his  retinue  but  that  our  carriers'  packhorses  in  England 
seemed  to  me  to  look  much  better;  though  it  was  hard  to  judge  rightly,  for  they 
were  so  covered  with  equipage,  mantles,  trappings,  etc.,  that  we  could  scarce  see 
anything  but  their  feet  and  their  heads  as  they  went  along. 

I  was  now  light-hearted,  and  all  my  trouble  and  perplexity  that  I  have  given 
an  account  of  being  over,  I  had  no  anxious  thoughts  about  me,  which  made  this 
journey  the  pleasanter  to  me ;  nor  had  I  any  ill  accident  attended  me,  only  in 
passing  or  fording  a  small  river  my  horse  fell,  and  made  me  free  of  the  country, 
as  they  call  it — that  is  to  say,  threw  me  in.  The  place  was  not  deep,  but  it 
wetted  me  all  over.  I  mention  it  because  it  spoiled  my  pocket-book,  wherein  I 
had  set  down  the  names  of  several  people  artd  places  which  I  had  occasion  to 
remember,  and  which  not  taking  due  care  of,  the  leaves  rotted,  and  the  words 
were  never  after  to  be  read,  to  my  great  loss,  as  to  the  names  of  some  of  the 
places  I  touched  at  in  this  journey. 

At  length  we  arrived  at  Pekin.  I  had  nobody  with  me  but  the  youth  whom 
my  nephew  the  captain  had  given  me  to  attend  me  as  a  servant,  and  who  proved 
very  trusty  and  diligent ;  and  my  partner  had  nobody  with  him  but  one  servant, 
who  was  a  kinsman.  As  for  the  Portuguese  pilot,  he  being  desirous  to  see  the 
court,  we  bore  his  charges  for  his  company,  and  to  use  him  as  an  interpreter,  for 
he  understood  the  language  of  the  country,  and  spoke  good  French  and  a  little 
English  ;  and  indeed  this  old  man  was  a  most  useful  implement  to  us  everywhere ; 
for  we  had  not  been  above  a  week  at  Pekin,  when  he  came  laughing.  "  Ah, 
Seignior  Inglese,"  says  he,  "  I  have  something  to  tell  will  make  your  heart  glad." 
"My  heart  glad,"  says  I,  "what  can  that  be?  I  don't  know  anything  in  this 
country  can  either  give  me  joy  or  grief  to  any  great  degree."  "Yes,  yes,"  says 
the  old  man  in  broken  English,  "  make  you  glad,  me  sorry."  "  Why,"  said  I, 
"will  it  make  you  sorry?"  "Because,"  said  he,  "you  have  brought  me  here 
twenty-five  days'  journey,  and  will  leave  me  to  go  back  alone ;  and  which  way  shall 
I  get  to  my  port  afterwards,  without  a  ship,  without  a  horse,  without  pecune  ?  " — 
so  he  called  money,  being  his  broken  Latin,  of  which  he  had  abundance  to  make 
us  merry  with.     In  short,  he  told  us  that  there  was  a  great  caravan  of  Muscovite 


Preparations  for  Departure.  383 

and  Polish  merchants  in  the  city,  preparing  to  set  out  on  their  journey  by  land  to 
Muscovy,  within  four  or  five  weeks ;  and  he  was  sure  we  would  take  the  oppor- 
tunity to  go  with  them,  and  leave  him  behind  to  go  back  alone. 

I  confess  I  was  greatly  surprised  with  this  good  news,  and  had  scarce  power 
to  speak  to  him  for  some  time ;  but  at  last  I  turned  to  him.  "  How  do  you 
know  this?"  said  I:  "are  you  sure  it  is  true?"  "Yes,"  says  he;  "I  met 
this  morning  in  the  street  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine,  an  Armenian,  who  is 
among  them.  He  came  last  from  Astracan,  and  was  designing  to  go  to  Tonquin, 
where  I  formerly  knew  him,  but  has  altered  his  mind,  and  is  now  resolved  to 
go  with  the  caravan  to  Moscow,  and  so  down  the  river  Wolga  to  Astracan." 
"  Well,  Seignior,"  says  I,  "  do  not  be  uneasy  about  being  left  to  go  back  alone ; 
if  this  be  a  method  for  my  return  to  England,  it  shall  be  your  fault  if  you  go 
back  to  Macao  at  all."  We  then  went  to  consult  together  what  was  to  be  done ; 
and  I  asked  my  partner  what  he  thought  of  the  pilot's  news,,  and  whether  if  would 
suit  with  his  affairs?  He  told  me  he  would  do  just  as  I  would;  for  he  had  settled 
all  his  affairs  at  Bengal,  and  left  his  effects  in  such  good  hands,  that  as  we  had 
made  a  good  voyage  here,  if  he  could  invest  it  in  China  silks,  wrought  and  raw, 
such  as  might  be  worth  the  carriage,  he  would  be  content  to  go  to  England,  and 
then  make  his  voyage  back  to  Bengal  by  the  Company's  ships. 

Having  resolved  upon  this,  we  agreed  that  if  our  Portuguese  pilot  would  go 
with  us,  we  would  bear  his  charges  to  Moscow,  or  to  England,  if  he  pleased ; 
nor,  indeed,  were  we  to  be  esteemed  over-generous  in  that  either,  if  we  had  not 
rewarded  him  further,  the  service  he  had  done  us  being  really  worth  more  than 
that ;  for  he  had  not  only  been  a  pilot  to  us  at  sea,  but  he  had  been  like  a 
broker  .for  us  on  shore ;  and  his  procuring  for  us  the  Japan  merchant  was  some 
hundreds  of  pounds  in  our  pockets.  So  we  consulted  together  about  it,  and  being 
willing  to  gratify  him,  which  was  but  doing  him  justice,  and  very  willing  also  to 
have  him  with  us  besides,  for  he  was  a  most  necessary  man  on  all  occasions,  we 
agreed  to  give  him  a  quantity  of  coined  gold,  which,  as  I  compute  it,  came  to 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  pounds  sterling,  between  us,  and  to  bear  all 
his  charges,  both  for  himself  and  horse,  except  only  a  horse  to  carry  his  goods. 
Having  settled  this  between  ourselves,  we  called  him  to  let  him  know  what  we 
had  resolved.  I  told  him  he  had  complained  of  our  being  willing  to  let  him  go 
back  alone,  and  I  was  now  about  to  tell  him  we  were  resolved  he  should  not  go 
back  at  all ;  that  as  we  had  resolved  to  go  Europe  with  the  caravan,  we  resolved 
also  he  should  go  with  us ;  and  that  we  called  him  to  know  his  mind.  He  shook  his 
head  and  said  it  was  a  long  journey,  and  that  he  had  no  pccune  to  carry  him 
thither,  or  to  subsist  himself  when  he  came  there.  We  told  him  we  believed  it 
was  so,  and  therefore  we  had  resolved  to  do  something  for  him  that  should  let 
him  see  how  sensible  we  were  of  the  service  he  had  done  us,  and  also  how 
agreeable  he  was  to  us ;  and  then  I  told  him  what  we  had  resolved  to  give  him 
here,  which  he  might  lay  out  as  we  would  do  our  own ;  and  that  as  for  his 
charges,  if  he  would  go  with  us  we  would  set  him  safe  on  shore  (life  and  casualties 
excepted)  either    in  Muscovy  or  England,   which    he  would,  at  our  own  charge, 


384  Robinson  Crusoe. 

except  only  the  carriage  of  his  goods.  He  received  the  proposal  like  a"  man 
transported,  and  told  us  he  would  go  with  us  over  the  whole  world ;  and  so  we 
all  prepared  for  our  journey.  However,  as  it  was  with  Us  so  it  was  with  the  other 
merchants ;  they  had  many  things  to  do,  and  instead  of  being  ready  in  five  weeks, 
it  was  four  months  and  some  days  before  all  things  were  got  together. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  February,  our  style,  when  we  set  out  from  Pekin. 
My  partner  and  the  old  pilot  had  gone  express  back  to  the  port  where  we  had 
first  put  in,  to  dispose  of  some  goods  which  we  had  left  there ;  and  I,  with  a 
Chinese  merchant  whom  I  had  some  knowledge  of  at  Nanquin,  and  who  came,  to 
Pekin  on  his  own  affairs,  went  to  Nanquin,  where  I  bought  ninety  pieces  of  fine 
damasks,  with  about  two  hundred  pieces  of  other  very  fine  silks  of  several  sorts, 
some  mixed  with  gold,  and  had  all  these  brought  to  Pekin  against  my  partner's 
return ;  besides  this,  we  bought  a  very  large  quantity  of  raw  silk,  and  some  other 
goods,  our  cargo  amounting,  in  these  goods  only,  to  about  three  thousand  five 
hundred  pounds  sterling ;  which,  together  with  tea  and  some  fine  calicoes,  and 
three  camels'  loads  of  nutmegs  and  cloves,  loaded  in  all  eighteen  camels  for  our 
share,  besides  those  we  rode  upon ;  which,  with  two  or  three  spare  horses,  and 
two  horses  loaded  with  provisions,  made  us,  in  short,  twenty-six  horses  and  camels 
in  our  retinue. 

The  company  was  very  great,  and,  as  far  as  I  can  remember,  made  between 
three  and  four  hundred  horse,  and  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  very 
well  armed,  and  provided  for  all  events ;  for  as  the  Eastern  caravans  are  subject 
to  be  attacked  by  the  Arabs,  so  are  these  by  the  Tartars ;  but  they  are  not 
altogether  so  dangerous  as  the  Arabs,  nor  so  barbarous  when  they  prevail. 

The  company  consisted  of  people  of  several  nations ;  but  there  were  about 
sixty  of  them  merchants  or  inhabitants  of  Moscow,  though  of  them  some  were 
Livonians ;  and  to  our  particular  satisfaction,  five  of  them  were  Scots,  who 
appeared  also  to  be  men  of  great  experience  in  business,  and  of  very  good 
substance. 

When  we  had  traveled  one  day's  journey,  the  guides,  who  were  five  in  number, 
called  all  the  gentlemen  and  merchants — that  is  to  say,  all  the  passengers  except 
the  servants — to  a  great  council,  as  they  called  it.  At  this  council,  every  one 
deposited  a  certain  quantity  of  money  to  a  common  stock,  for  the  necessary 
expense  of  buying  forage  on  the  way,  where  it  was  not  otherwise  to  be  had,  and 
for  satisfying  the  guides,  getting  horses,  and  the  like ;  and  here  they  constituted 
the  journey,  as  they  call  it,  viz.,  they  named  captains  and  officers  to  draw  us  all 
up,  and  give  the  word  of  command,  in  case  of  an  attack,  and  give  every  one  their 
turn  of  command ;  nor  was  this  forming  us  into  order  any  more  than  what  we 
found  needful  on  the  way,  as  shall  be  observed. 

The  road  all  on  this  side  of  the  country  is  very  populous,  and  is  full  of 
potters,  and  earth-makers — that  is  to  say,  people  that  temper  the  earth  for  the  China 
ware ;  and  as  I  was  coming  along,  our  Portugal  pilot,  who  had  always  something 
or  other  to  say  to  make  us  merry,  came  sneering  to  me,  and  told  me  he  would  show 
me   the   greatest  rarity  in  all  the  country,  and  that   I    should  have  this  to  say  of 


"AS   SOON  AS   THEY   SAW   US,    ONE   OF   THEM   BLEW  A   KIND   OF   HORN." 

(Seep.  387.) 


A  House  of  China   Ware.  385 

China,  after  all  the  ill-humored  things  that  I  had  said  of  it,  that  I  had  seen  one 
thing  which  was  not  to  be  seen  in  all  the  world  beside.  I  was  very  importunate 
to  know  what  it  was ;  at  last  he  told  me  it  was  a  gentleman's  house  built  with 
China  ware.  "  Well,"  says  I,  "  are  not  the  materials  of  their  buildings  the  product 
of  their  own  country?  and  so  it  is  all  China  ware,  is  it  not?  "  "  No,  no,"  says 
he,  "  I  mean  it  is  a  house  all  made  of  China  ware,  such  as  you  call  it  in  England,  or 
as  it  is  called  in  our  country,  porcelain."  "  Well,"  says  I,  "  such  a  thing  may  be. 
How  big  is  it?  Can  we  carry  it  in  a  box  upon  a  camel?  If  we  can,  we  will 
buy  it."  "Upon  a  camel!"  says  the  old  pilot,  holding  up  both  his  hands; 
"  why,  there  is  a  family  of  thirty  people  lives  in  it." 

I  was  then  curious,  indeed,  to  see  it ;  but  when  I  came  to  it,  it  was  nothing 
but  this :  it  was  a  timber  house,  or  a  house  built,  as  we  call  it  in  England,  with 
lath  and  plaster ;  but  all  this  plastering  was  really  China  ware — that  is  to  say,  it 
was  plastered  with  the  earth  that  makes  China  ware.  The  outside,  which  the 
sun  shown  hot  upon,  was  glazed,  and  looked  very  well,  perfectly  white,  and 
painted  with  blue  figures,  as  the  large  China  ware  in  England  is  painted,  and 
hard  as  if  it  had  been  burned.  As  to  the  inside,  all  the  walls,  instead  of 
wainscot,  were  lined  with  hardened  and  painted  tiles,  like  the  little  square  tiles 
we  call  galley-tiles  in  England,  all  made  of  the  finest  China,  and  the  figures 
exceedingly  fine  indeed,  with  extraordinary  variety  of  colors,  mixed  with  gold, 
many  tiles  making  but  one  figure,  but  joined  so  artificially,  the  mortar  being  made 
of  the  same  earth,  that  it  was  very  hard  to  see  where  the  tiles  met.  The  floors 
of  the  rooms  were  of  the  same  composition,  and  as  hard  as  the  earthen  floors 
we  have  in  use  in  several  parts  of  England ;  as  hard  as  stone,  and  smooth,  but 
not  burned  and  painted,  except  some  smaller  rooms,  like  closets,  which  were  all, 
as  it  were,  paved  with  the  same  tile ;  the  ceiling  and  all  the  plastering  work  in 
the  whole  house  were  of  the  same  earth ;  and,  after  all,  the  roof  was  covered  with 
tiles  of  the  same,  but  of  a  deep  shining  black.  This  was  a  China  ware  house 
indeed,  truly  and  literally  to  be  called  so,  and  had  I  not  been  upon  the  journey, 
I  could  have  stayed  some  days  to  see  and  examine  the  particulars  of  it.  They 
told  me  there  were  fountains  and  fish-ponds  in  the  garden,  all  paved  on  the 
bottom  and  sides  with  the  same ;  and  fine  statues  set  up  in  rows  on  the  walks, 
entirely  formed  of  the  porcelain  earth,  and  burned  whole. 

As  this  is  one  of  the  singularities  of  China,  so  they  may  be  allowed  to  excel 
in  it ;  but  I  am  very  sure  they  excel  in  their  accounts  of  it ;  for  they  told  me 
such  incredible  things  of  their  performance  in  crockery-ware,  for  such  it  is,  that 
I  care  not  to  relate,  as  knowing  it  could  not  be  true.  They  told  me,  in  particular, 
of  one  workman  that  made  a  ship,  with  all  its  tackle,  and  masts,  and  sails  in 
earthenware,  big  enough  to  carry  fifty  men.  If  they  had  told  me  he  launched  it,  and 
made  a  voyage  to  Japan  in  it,  I  might  have  said  something  to  it  indeed ;  but  as 
it  was,  I  knew  the  whole  of  the  story,  which  was,  in  short,  asking  pardon  for  the 
word,  that  the  fellow  lied ;   so  I  smiled,  and  said  nothing  to  it. 

This  odd  sight  kept  me  two  hours  behind  the  caravan,  for  which  the  leader  of 
it  for  the  day  fined  me  about  the  value  of  three  shillings,  and  told  me  if  it  had 


386  Robinson  Crusoe. 

been  three  days'  journey  without  the  wall,  as  it  was  three  days  within,  he  must  have 
fined  me  four  times  as  much,  and  made  me  ask  pardon  the  next  council  day.  I 
promised  to  be  more  orderly ;  and,  indeed,  I  found  afterwards  the  orders  made 
for  keeping  all  together  were  absolutely  necessary  for  our  common  safety. 

In  two  days  more  we  passed  the  great  China  Avail,  made  for  a  fortification 
against  the  Tartars ;  and  a  very  great  work  it  is,  going  over  hills  and  mountains 
in  a  needless  track,  where  the  rocks  are  impassable,  and  the  precipices  such  as 
no  enemy  could  possibly  enter,  or  indeed  climb  up,  or  where,  if  they  did,  no 
wall  could  hinder  them.  They  tell  us  its  length  is  near  a  thousand  English 
miles,  but  that  the  country  is  five  hundred  in  a  straight  measured  line,  which. the 
wall  bounds,  without  measuring  the  windings  and  turnings  it  takes ;  it  is  about  four 
fathoms  high,  and  as  many  thick  in  some  places. 

I  stood  still  an  hour  or  thereabouts  without  trespassing  our  orders  (for  so  long 
the  caravan  was  in  passing  the  gate),  to  look  at  it  on  every  side,  near  and  far  off, 
I  mean  what  was  within  my  view ;  and  the  guide  of  our  caravan,  who  had  been 
extolling  it  for  the  wonder  of  the  world,  was  mighty  eager  to  hear  my  opinion  of 
it.  I  told  him  it  was  a  most  excellent  thing  to  keep  out  the  Tartars ;  which  he 
happened  not  to  understand  as  I  meant  it,  and  so  took  it  for  a  compliment ;  but 
the  old  pilot  laughed,  "  Oh,  Seignior  Inglese,"  says  he,  "  you  speak  in  colors." 
"In  colors!  "said  I;  "what  do  you  mean  by  that?"  "Why,  you  speak  what 
looks  white  this  way,  and  black  that  way — gay  one  way,  and  dull  another.  You 
tell  him  it  is  a  good  wall  to  keep  out  Tartars ;  you  tell  me  by  that  it  is  good  for 
nothing  but  to  keep  out  Tartars.  I  understand  you,  Seignior  Inglese,  I  understand 
you;  but  Seignior  Chinese  understood  you  his  own  way."  "Well,"  says  I, 
"seignior,  do  you  think  it  would  stand  out  an  army  of  our  country  people,  with  a 
good  train  of  artillery?  or  our  engineers,  with  two  companies  of  miners?  Would 
not  they  batter  it  down  in  ten  days,  that  an  army  might  enter  in  battalia?  or  blow 
it  up  in  the  air,  foundation  and  all,  that  there  should  be  no  sign  of  it  left?  " 
"Aye,  aye,"  says  he,  "  I  know  that."  The  Chinese  wanted  mightily  to  know  what  I 
said,  and  I  gave  him  leave  to  tell  him  a  few  days  after,  for  we  were  then  almost 
out  of  their  country,  and  he  was  to  leave  us  a  little  time  after  this;  but  when  he 
knew  what  I  said,  he  was  dumb  all  the  rest  of  the  way,  and  we  heard  no  more 
of  his  fine  story  of  the  Chinese  power  and  greatness  while  he  stayed. 

After  we  passed  this  mighty  nothing,  called  a  wall,  something  like  the  Picts' 
wall,  so  famous  in  Northumberland,  built  by  the  Romans,  we  began  to  find  the 
country  thinly  inhabited,  and  the  people  rather  confined  to  live  in  fortified  towns 
or  cities,  as  being  subject  to  the  inroads  and  depredations  of  the  Tartars,  who 
rob  in  great  armies,  and  therefore  are  not  to  be  resisted  by  the  naked  inhabitants 
of  an  open  country.  And  here  I  began  to  find  the  necessity  of  keeping 
together  in  a  caravan  as  we  traveled,  for  we  saw  several  troops  of  Tartars  roving 
about ;  but  when  I  came  to  see  them  distinctly,  I  wondered  more  that  the 
Chinese  Empire  could  be  conquered  by  such  contemptible  fellows ;  for  they  are 
a  mere  horde  of  wild  fellows,  keeping  no  order,  and  understanding  no  discipline 
or  manner  of  fight.     Their  horses  are  poor  lean  creatures,  taught  nothing,  and  fit 


An  Encounter  with  Tartars.  387 

for  nothing ;  and  this  we  found  the  first  day  we  saw  them,  which  was  after  we 
entered  the  wilder  part  of  the  country.  Our  leader  for  the  day  gave  leave  for  about 
sixteen  of  us  to  go  a-hunting  as  they  call  it;  and  what  was  this  but  hunting  of 
sheep!  However,  it  may  be  called  hunting,  too,  for  the  creatures  are  the  wildest 
and  swiftest  of  foot  that  ever  I  saw  of  their  kind ;  only  they  will  not  run  a  great 
way,  and  you  are  sure  of  sport  when  you  begin  the  chase,  for  they  appear 
generally  thirty  or  forty  in  a  flock,  and,  like  true  sheep,  always  keep  together  when 
they  fly. 

In  pursuit  of  this  odd  sort  of  game,  it  was  our  hap  to  meet  with  about  forty 
Tartars ;  whether  they  were  hunting  mutton,  as  we  were,  or  whether  they  looked 
for  another  kind  of  prey,  we  know  not ;  but  as  soon  as  they  saw  us,  one  of  them 
blew  a  kind  of  horn  very  loud,  but  with  a  barbarous  sound  that  I  had  never 
heard  before,  and,  by  the  way,  never  care  to  hear  again.  We  all  supposed  this 
was  to  call  their  friends  about  them,  and  so  it  was ;  for,  in  less  than  ten  minutes, 
a  troop  of  forty  or  fifty  more  appeared,  at  about  a  mile's  distance ;  but  our  work 
was  over  first,  as  it  happened. 

One  of  the  Scots  merchants  of  Moscow  happened  to  be  amongst  us,  and  as 
soon  as  he  heard  the  horn,  he  told  us  that  we  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  charge 
them  immediately,  without  loss  of  time ;  and  drawing  us  up  in  a  line,  he  asked  if 
we  were  resolved.  We  told  him  we  were  ready  to  follow  him ;  so  he  rode 
directly  towards  them.  They  stood  gazing  at  us  like  a  mere  crowd,  drawn  up  in 
no  order,  nor  showing  the  face  of  any  order  at  all ;  but  as  soon  as  they  saw  us 
advance,  they  let  fly  their  arrows,  which,  however,  missed  us,  very  happily :  it 
seems  they  mistook  not  their  aim,  but  their  distance ;  for  their*  arrows  all  fell  a 
little  short  of  us,  but  with  so  true  an  aim,  that  had  we  been  about  twenty  yards 
nearer,  we  must  have  had  several  men  wounded,  if  not  killed. 

Immediately  we  halted,  and  though  it  was  at  a  great  distance,  we  fired,  and 
sent  them  leaden  bullets  for  wooden  arrows,  following  our  shot  full  gallop,  to  fall 
in  among  them  sword  in  hand — for  so  our  bold  Scot  that  led  us  directed. 
He  was,  indeed,  but  a  merchant,  but  he  behaved  with  such  vigor  and  bravery  on 
this  occasion,  and  yet  with  such  cool  courage  too,  that  I  never  saw  any  man  in 
action  fitter  for  command.  As  soon  as  we  came  up  to  them,  we  fired  our  pistols 
in  their  faces,  and  then  drew ;  but  they  fled  in  the  greatest  confusion  imaginable. 
The  only  stand  any  of  them  made  was  on  our  right,  where  three  of  them  stood, 
and,  by  signs,  called  the  rest  to  come  back  to  them,  having  a  kind  of  scimitar  in 
their  hands,  and  their  bows  hanging  to  their  backs.  Our  brave  commander,  with- 
out asking  anybody  to  follow  him,  gallops  up  close  to  them,  and  with  his  fusee 
knocks  one  of  them  off  his  horse,  killed  the  second  with  his  pistol,  and  the  third 
ran  away ;  and  thus  ended  our  fight ;  but  we  had  this  misfortune  attending  it, 
that  all  our  mutton  we  had  in  chase  got  away.  We  had  not  a  man  killed  or 
hurt ;  but  as  for  the  Tartars,  there  were  about  five  of  them  killed ;  how  many- 
were  wounded  we  knew  not ;  but  this  we  knew,  that  the  other  party  were  so 
frightened  with  the  noise  of  our  guns,  that  they  made  off,  and  never  made  any 
attempt  upon  us. 


388  Robinson  Crusoe. 

We  were  all  this  while  in  the  Chinese  dominions,  and  therefore  the  Tartars 
were  not  so  bold  as  afterwards ;  but  in  about  five  days  we  entered  a  vast,  great, 
wild  desert,  which  held  us  three  days'  and  nights'  march ;  and  we  were  obliged  to 
carry  our  water  with  us,  in  great  leathern  bottles,  and  to  encamp  all  night,  just  as 
I  have  heard  they  do  in  the  desert  of  Arabia. 

I  asked  our  guides  whose  dominion  this  was  in,  and  they  told  me  this  was  a 
kind  of  border,  that  might  be  called  no  man's  land,  being  a  part  of  Great 
Karakathy,  or  Grand  Tartaiy ;  that,  however,  it  was  all  reckoned  as  belonging  to 
China,  but  that  there  was  no  care  taken  here  to  preserve  it  from  the  inroads  of 
thieves,  and  therefore  it  was  reckoned  the  worst  desert  in  the  whole  march, 
though  we  were  to  go  over  some  much  larger. 

In  passing  this  wilderness,  which  was  at  first  very  frightful  to  me,  we  saw,  two 
or  three  times,  little  parties  of  the  Tartars,  but  they  seemed  to  be  upon  their  own 
affairs,  and  to  have  no  design  upon  us ;  and  so,  like  the  man  who  met  the 
devil,  if  they  had  nothing  to  say  to  us,  we  had  nothing  to  say  to  them :  we  let 
them  go.  Once,  however,  a  party  of  them  came  so  near  as  to  stand  and  gaze 
at  us :  whether  it  was  to  consider  if  they  should  attack  us  or  not,  we  knew  not ; 
but  when  we  had  passed  at  some  distance  by  them,  we  made  a  rear  guard  of 
forty  men,  and  stood  ready  for  them,  letting  the  caravan  pass  half  a  mile  or 
thereabouts  before  us,  but  after  awhile  they  marched  off;  only  we  found  they 
saluted  us  Avith  five  arrows  at  their  parting,  which  wounded  a  horse  so  that  it 
disabled  him,  and  we  left  him  the  next  day,  poor  creature,  in  great  need  of  a  good 
farrier :  they  might  shoot  more  arrows,  which  might  fall  short  of  us ;  but  we  saw 
no  more  arrows  or  Tartars  that  time. 

We  traveled  near  a  month  after  this,  the  ways  not  being  so  good  as  at  first, 
though  still  in  the  dominions  of  the  Emperor  of  China,  but  lay  for  the  most  part 
in  the  villages,  some  of  which  were  fortified,  because  of  the  incursions  of  the 
Tartars.  When  we  were  come  to  one  of  these  towns  (it  was  about  two  days  and 
a  half's  journey  before  we  came  to  the  city  of  Naum),  I  wanted  to  buy  a  camel, 
of  which  there  are  plenty  to  be  sold  all  the  way  upon  that  road,  and  horses  also, 
such  as  they  are,  because,  so  many  caravans  coming  that  way,  they  are  often 
wanted.  The  person  that  I  spoke  to  to  get  me  a  camel  would  have  gone  and 
fetched  one  for  me,  but  I,  like  a  fool,  must  be  officious,  and  go  myself  along  with 
him ;  the  place  was  about  two  miles  out  of  the  village,  where,  it  seems,  they  kept 
the  camels  and  horses  feeding,  under  a  guard. 

I  walked  it  on  foot,  with  my  old  pilot  and  a  Chinese,  being  very  desirous  of  a 
little  variety.  When  we  came  to  the  place,  it  was  a  low  marshy  ground,  walled 
round  with  a  stone  wall,  piled  up  dry,  without  mortar  or  earth  among  it,  like  a 
park,  with  a  little  guard  of  Chinese  soldiers  at  the  door.  Having  bought  a  camel, 
and  agreed  for  the  price,  I  came  away,  and  the  Chinese  man  that  went  with  me 
led  the  camel,  when  on  a  sudden  came  up  five  Tartars  on  horseback.  Two  of 
them  seized  the  fellow  and  took  the  camel  from  him,  while  the  other  three 
stepped  up  to  me  and  my  old  pilot,  seeing  us,  as  it  were,  unarmed,  for  I  had  no 
weapon  about    me   but    my  sword,   which   could   but   ill   defend   me   against   three 


A  Second  Encounter. 


389 


horsemen.  The  first  that  came  up  stopped  short  upon  my  drawing  my  sword,  for 
they  are  arrant  cowards ;  but  a  second,  coming  upon  my  left,  gave  me  a  blow  on 
the  head,  which  I  never  felt  till  afterwards,  and  wondered,  when  I  came  to 
myself,  what  was  the  matter,  and  where  I  was,  for  he  laid  me  flat  on  the  ground ; 
but  my  never-failing  old  pilot,  the  Portuguese  (so  Providence,  unlooked  for,  directs 
deliverances  from  dangers  which  to  us  are  unforeseen)  had  a  pistol  in  his  pocket, 
which  I  knew  nothing  of,  nor  the    Tartars  either;    if    they  had,  I   suppose  they 


■wM 


"killed  the  second  with  his  pistol"  {p.  387). 


would  not  have  attacked  us ;  but  cowards  are  always  boldest  when  there  is  no 
danger.  The  old  man  seeing  me  down,  with  a  bold  heart  stepped  up  to  the 
fellow  that  had  struck  me,  and  laying  hold  of  his  arm  with  one  hand,  and  pulling 
him  down  by  main  force  a  little  towards  him,  with  the  other  shot  him  in  the  head, 
and  laid  him  dead  upon  the  spot.  He  then  immediately  stepped  up  to  him  who 
had  stopped  us,  as  I  said,  and  before  he  could  come  forward  again,  made  a  blow 
at  him  with  a  scimitar,  which  he  always  wore,  but  missing  the  man,  struck  his 
horse  on  the  side  of  his  head,  cut  one  of  the  ears  off  by  the  root,  and  a  great 
slice  down  by  the  side  of  his  face.  The  poor  beast,  enraged  with  the  wound,  was 
no  more  to  be  governed  by  his  rider,  though  the  fellow  sat  well  enough  too,  but 
away  he  flew,  and  carried  him  quite  out  of  the  pilot's  reach ;  and  at  some  distance, 
rising  upon  his  hind  legs,  threw  down  the  Tartar,  and  fell  upon  him. 


390  Robinson  Crusoe. 

In  this  interval,  the  poor  Chinese  came  in  who  had  lost  the  camel,  but  he  had 
nc  weapon ;  however,  seeing  the  Tartar  down,  and  his  horse  fallen  upon  him, 
away  he  runs  to  him,  and  seizing  upon  an  ugly  ill-favored  weapon  he  had  by  his 
side,  something  like  a  poleaxe,  but  not  a  poleaxe  neither,  he  wrenched  it  from  him, 
and  made  shift  to  knock  his  Tartarian  brains  out  with  it.  But  my  old  man  had  the 
third  Tartar  to  deal  with  still ;  and  seeing  he  did  not  fly,  as  he  expected,  nor  come 
on  to  fight  him,  as  he  apprehended,  but  stood  stock  still,  the  old  man  stood  still 
too,  and  fell  to  work  with  his  tackle  to  charge  his  pistol  again ;  but,  as  soon  as 
the  Tartar  saw  the  pistol,  away  he  scoured,  and  left  my  pilot,  my  champion  I  called 
him  afterwards,  a  complete  victory. 

By  this  time  I  was  a  little  recovered ;  for  I  thought,  when  I  first  began  to 
wake,  that  I  had  been  in  a  sweet  sleep  ;  but,  as  I  said  above,  I  wondered  where 
I  was,  how  I  came  upon  the  ground,  and  what  was  the  matter ;  but  a  few 
moments  after,  as  sense  returned,  I  felt  pain,  though  I  did  not  know  where ;  so  I 
clapped  my  hand  to  my  head,  and  took  it  away  bloody ;  then  I  felt  my  head 
ache ;  and  then  in  a  moment  memory  returned,  and  everything  was  present  to  me 
again.  I  jumped  upon  my  feet  instantly,  and  got  hold  of  my  sword,  but  no 
enemies  were  in  view ;  I  found  a  Tartar  lying  dead,  and  his  horse  standing  very 
quietly  by  him ;  and,  looking  farther,  I  saw  my  champion  and  deliverer,  who  had 
been  to  see  what  the  Chinese  had  done,  coming  back  with  his  hanger  in  his 
hand.  The  old  man,  seeing  me  on  my  feet,  came  running  to  me,  and  embraced 
me  with  a  great  deal  of  joy,  being  afraid  before  that  I  had  been  killed ;  and 
seeing  me  bloody,  would  see  how  I  was  hurt ;  but  it  was  not  much,  only  what  we 
call  a  broken  head ;  neither  did  I  afterwards  find  any  great  inconvenience  from 
the  blow,  for  it  was  well  again  in  two  or  three  days. 

We  made  no  great  gain,  however,  by  this  victory,  for  we  lost  a  camel  and 
gained  a  horse.  But  that  which  was  remarkable,  when  we  came  back  to  the 
village,  the  man  demanded  to  be  paid  for  the  camel ;  I  disputed  it,  and  it  was 
brought  to  a  hearing  before  the  Chinese  judge  of  the  place.  To  give  him  his 
due,  he  acted  with  a  great  deal  of  prudence  and  impartiality ;  and,  having  heard 
both  sides,  he  gravely  asked  the  Chinese  man  that  went  with  me  to  buy  the 
camel,  whose  servant  he  was?  "I  am  no  servant,"  says  he,  "but  went  with  the 
stranger."  "At  whose  request?"  says  the  justice.  "At  the  stranger's  request," 
says  he.  "  Why,  then,"  says  the  justice,  "  you  were  the  stranger's  servant  for  the 
time ;  and  the  camel  being  delivered  to  his  servant,  it  was  delivered  to  him,  and 
he  must  pay  for  it." 

I  confess  the  thing  was  so  clear,  that  I  had  not  a  word  to  say ;  but,  admiring 
to  see  such  just  reasoning  upon  the  consequence,  and  an  accurate  stating  of 
the  case,  I  paid  willingly  for  the  camel,  and  sent  for  another ;  but,  you  may 
observe,  I  did  not  go  to  fetch  it  myself  any  more,  for  I  had  had  enough  of 
that. 

The  city  of  Naum  is  a  frontier  of  the  Chinese  Empire ;  they  call  it  forti- 
fied, and  so  it  is,  as  fortifications  go  there ;  for  this  I  will  venture  to  affirm, 
that  all  the  Tartars  in  Karakathay,  which,  I  believe,  are  some  millions,  could  not 


Another  Alarm.  391 

batter  down  the  walls  with  their  bows  and  arrows ;  but  to  call  it  strong,  if  it 
were  attacked  with  cannon,  would  be  to  make  those  who  understand  it  laugh  at 
you. 

We  wanted,  as  I  have  said,  above  two  days'  journey  of  this  city,  when 
messengers  were  sent  express  to  every  part  of  the  road  to  tell  all  travelers  and 
caravans  to  halt  till  they  had  a  guard  sent  for  them ;  for  that  an  unusual  body 
of  Tartars,  making  ten  thousand  in  all,  had  appeared  in  the  way,  about  thirty 
miles  beyond  the  city. 

This  was  very  bad  news  to  travelers ;  however,  it  was  carefully  done  of  the 
governor,  and  we  were  very  glad  to  hear  we  should  have  a  guard.  Accordingly, 
two  days  after,  we  had  two  hundred  soldiers  sent  us  from  a  garrison  of  the 
Chinese,  on  our  left,  and  three  hundred  more  from  the  city  of  Naum,  and  with 
these  we  advanced  boldly ;  the  three  hundred  soldiers  from  Naum  marched  in  our 
front,  the  two  hundred  in  our  rear,  and  our  men  on  each  side  of  our  camels, 
with  our  baggage,  and  the  whole  caravan  in  the  center ;  in  this  order,  and  well 
prepared  for  battle,  we  thought  ourselves  a  match  for  the  whole  ten  thousand 
Mogul  Tartars,  if  they  had  appeared ;  but  the  next  day,  when  they  did  appear,  it 
was  quite  another  thing. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning,  when  marching  from  a  well-situated  little  town, 
called  Changu,  we  had  a  river  to  pass,  which  we  were  obliged  to  ferry ;  and,  had 
the  Tartars  had  any  intelligence,  then  had  been  the  time  to  have  attacked  us, 
when  the  caravan  being  over,  the  rear-guard  was  behind ;  but  they  did  not  appear 
there.  About  three  hours  after,  when  we  were  entered  upon  a  desert  of  about 
fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  over,  behold,  by  a  cloud  of  dust  they,  raised,  we  saw  an 
enemy  was  at  hand :  and  they  were  at  hand,  indeed,  for  they  came  on  upon  the 
spur. 

The  Chinese,  our  guard  in  the  front,  who  had  talked  so  big  the  day  before, 
began  to  stagger ;  and  the  soldiers  frequently  looked  behind  them,  which  is  a 
certain  sign  in  a  soldier  that  he  is  just  ready  to  run  away.  My  old  pilot  was  of 
my  mind :  and  being  near  me,  called  out :  "  Seignior  Inglese,"  says  he,  "  those 
fellows  must  be  encouraged,  or  they  will  ruin  us  all ;  for  if  the  Tartars  come  on, 
they  will  never  stand  it."  "  I  am  of  your  mind,"  says  I ;  "  but  what  must  be 
done?"  "Done!"  says  he,  "let  fifty  of  our  men  advance,  and  flank  them  on 
each  wing,  and  encourage  them,  and  they  will  fight  like  brave  fellows  in  brave 
company ;  but  without  this  they  will  every  man  turn  his  back."  Immediately,  I 
rode  up  to  our  leader,  and  told  him,  who  was  exactly  of  our  mind ;  and  accord- 
ingly fifty  of  us  marched  to  the  right  wing,  and  fifty  to  the  left,  and  the  rest 
made  a  line  of  rescue  ;  and  so  we  marched,  leaving  the  last  two  hundred  men  to 
make  a  body  by  themselves,  and  to  guard  the  camels ;  only  that,  if  need  were, 
they  should  send  a  hundred  men  to  assist  the  last  fifty. 

In  a  word,  the  Tartars  came  on,  and  an  innumerable  company  they  were ; 
how  many  we  could  not  tell,  but  ten  thousand,  we  thought,  was  the  least ;  a 
party  of  them  came  on  first,  and  viewed  our  posture,  traversing  the  ground  in  the 
front  of  our  line ;   and,  as  we  found  them  within  gunshot,  our  leader  ordered  the 


392  Robinson  Crusoe. 

two  wings  to  advance  swiftly,  and  give  them  a  salvo  on  each  wing  with  their 
shot,  which  was  done ;  and  they  went  off,  I  suppose  back,  to  give  an  account  of 
the  reception  they  were  like  to  meet  with ;  and,  indeed,  that  salute  cloyed  their 
stomachs,  for  they  immediately  halted^  stood  awhile  to  consider  it,  and  wheeling 
off  to  the  left,  they  gave  over  their  design,  and  said  no  more  to  us  for  that 
time ;  which  was  very  agreeable  to  our  circumstances,  which  were  but  very 
indifferent  for  a  battle  with  such  a  number. 

Two  days  after,  we  came  to  the  city  of  Naun,  or  Naum :  we  thanked  the 
governor  for  his  care  of  us,  and  collected  to  the  value  of  a  hundred  crowns,  or 
thereabouts,  which  we  gave  to  the  soldiers  sent  to  guard  us ;  and  here  we  rested 
one  day.  This  is  a  garrison  indeed,  and  there  were  nine  hundred  soldiers  kept 
here ;  but  the  reason  of  it  was,  that  formerly  the  Muscovite  frontiers  lay  nearer 
to  them  than  they  do  now,  the  Muscovites  having  abandoned  that  part  of  the 
country  which  lies  from  this  city  west  for  about  two  hundred  miles,  as  desolate 
and  unfit  for  use ;  and  more  especially  being  so  very  remote,  and  so  difficult  to 
send  troops  thither  for  its  defense ;  for  we  were  yet  above  two  thousand  miles 
from  Muscovy,  properly  so  called. 

After  this,  we  passed  several  great  rivers,  and  two  dreadful  deserts ;  one  of 
which  we  were  sixteen  days  passing  over,  and  which,  as  I  said,  was  to  be  called 
no  man's  land;  and,  on  the  13th  of  April,  we  came  to  the  frontiers  of  the 
Muscovite  dominions.  I  think  the  first  town  or  fortress,  whichever  it  may  be 
called,  that  belonged  to  the  Czar  of  Muscovy,  was  called  Arguna,  being  on  the 
west  side  of  the  river  Arguna. 

I  could  not  but  discover  an  infinite  satisfaction  that  I  was  so  soon  arrived  in, 
as  I  called  it,  a  Christian  country,  or,  at  least,  in  a  country  governed  by 
Christians ;  for  though  the  Muscovites  do,  in  my  opinion,  but  just  deserve  the 
name  of  Christians,  yet  such  they  pretend  to  be,  and  are  very  devout  in  their  way. 
It  would  certainly  occur  to  any  man  who  travels  the  world  as  I  have  done,  and 
who  had  any  power  of  reflection,  what  a  blessing  it  is  to  be  brought  into  the 
world  where  the  name  of  God  and  a  Redeemer  is  known,  adored,  and  worshiped ; 
and  not  where  the  people,  given  up  by  Heaven  to  strong  delusions,  worship  the 
devil,  and  prostrate  themselves  to  stocks  and  stones ;  worship  monsters,  elements, 
horrid  shaped  animals,  and  statues  or  images  of  monsters.  Not  a  town  or  city  we 
passed  through  but  had  their  pagodas,  their  idols,  and  their  temples,  and  ignorant 
people  worshiping  even  the  works  of  their  own  hands.  Now  we  came  where,  at 
least,  a  face  of  the  Christian  worship  appeared ;  where  the  knee  was  bowed  to 
Jesus ;  and  whether  ignorantly  or  not,  yet  the  Christian  religion  was  owned,  and 
the  name  of  the  true  God  was  called  upon  and  adored ;  and  it  made  my  soul 
rejoice  to  see  it.  I  saluted  the  brave  Scots  merchant  I  mentioned  above  with  my 
first  acknowledgment  of  this ;  and  taking  him  by  the  hand,  I  said  to  him, 
"  Blessed  be  God,  Ave  are  once  again  among  Christians."  He  smiled  and 
answered,  "  Do  not  rejoice  too  soon,  countryman ;  these  Muscovites  are  but  an  odd 
sort  of  Christians ;  and  but  for  the  name  of  it,  you  may  see  very  little  of  the 
substance  for  some  months  farther  of  our  journey."     "  Well,"  says  I,  "  but  still  it  is 


Entrance  into  the  Muscovite  Dominions.  393 

better  than  paganism  and  worshiping  of  devils."  "Why,  I  will  tell  you,"  says  he, 
"  except  the  Russian  soldiers  in  the  garrison,  and  a  few  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
cities  upon  the  road,  all  the  rest  of  this  country,  for  above  a  thousand  miles 
farther,  is  inhabited  by  the  worst  and  most  ignorant  of  pagans."  And  so,  indeed, 
we  found  it. 

We  were  now  launched  into  the  greatest  piece  of  solid  earth,  if  I  understand 
anything  of  the  surface  of  the  globe,  that  is  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  world ; 
we  had,  at  least,  twelve  thousand  miles  to  the  sea,  eastward ;  two  thousand  to  the 
bottom  of  the  Baltic  Sea,  westward ;  and  above  three  thousand,  if  we  left  that  sea, 
and  went  on  west,  to  the  British  and  French  channels :  we  had  full  five  thousand 
miles  to  the  Indian  or  Persian  Sea,  south ;  and  about  eight  hundred  to  the  Frozen 
Sea,  north.  Nay,  if  some  people  may  be  believed,  there  might  be  no  sea  north- 
east till  we  came  round  the  Pole,  and  consequently  into  the  north-west,  and  so  had 
a  continent  of  land  into  America,  the  Lord  knows  where  ;  though  I  could  give 
some  reasons  why  I  believe  that  to  be  a  mistake. 

As  we  entered  into  the  Muscovite  dominions  a  good  while  before  we  came  to 
any  considerable  towns,  we  had  nothing  to  observe  there  but  this :  first,  that  all 
the  rivers  run  to  the  east ;  as  I  understood  by  the  charts,  which  some  in  our 
caravan  had  with  them,  it  was  plain  all  those  rivers  ran  into  the  great  river 
Yamour,  or  Gamour;  which  river,  by  the  natural  course  of  it,  must  run  into  the 
East  Sea,  or  Chinese  Ocean.  The  story  they  tell  us,  that  the  mouth  of  this  river 
is  choked  up  with  bulrushes  of  a  monstrous  growth — viz.,  three  feet  about,  and 
twenty  or  thirty  feet  high — I  must  be  allowed  to  say,  I  believe  nothing  of  it ;  but 
as  its  navigation  is  of  no  use,  because  there  is  no  trade  that  way,  the  Tartars,  to 
whom  it  alone  belongs,  dealing  in  nothing  but  cattle,  so  nobody  that  ever  I  heard 
of  has  been  curious  enough  either  to  go  down  to  the  mouth  of  it  in  boats,  or 
come  up  from  the  mouth  of  it  in  ships,  as  far  as  I  can  find ;  but  this  is  certain, 
that  this  river  running  east,  in  the  latitude  of  about  50  degrees,  carries  a  vast  con- 
course of  rivers  along  with  it,  and  finds  an  ocean  to  empty  itself  in  that  latitude ; 
so  we  are  sure  of  sea  there. 

Some  leagues  to  the  north  of  this  river,  there  are  several  considerable  rivers, 
whose  streams  run  as  due  north  as  the  Yamour  runs  east,  and  these  are  all  found 
to  join  their  waters  with  the  great  river  Tartarus,  named  so  from  the  northern- 
most nations  of  the  Mogul  Tartars ;  who,  as  the  Chinese  say,  were  the  first 
Tartars  in  the  world ;  and  who,  as  our  geographers  allege,  are  the  Gog  and 
Magog  mentioned  in  sacred  history.  These  rivers  running  all  northward,  as  well 
as  all  the  other  rivers  I  am  yet  to  speak  of,  make  it  evident  that  the  Northern 
Ocean  bounds  the  lands  also  on  that  side ;  so  that  it  does  not  seem  rational  in 
the  least  to  think  that  the  land  can  extend  itself  to  join  with  America  on  that 
side,  or  that  there  is  not  a  communication  between  the  Northern  and  Eastern 
Ocean ;  but  of  this  I  shall  say  no  more ;  it  was  my  observation  at  that  time, 
and  therefore  I  take  notice  of  it  in  this  place. 

We  now  advanced  from  the  river  Arguna  by  easy  and  moderate  journeys,  and 
were  very  visibly  obliged  to    the  care  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  has  taken  to  have 


394 


Robinsoat  Crusoe. 


cities  and  towns  built  in  as  many  places  as  it  is  possible  to  place  them,  where 
his  soldiers  keep  garrison,  something  like  the  stationary  soldiers  placed  by  the 
Romans  in  the  remotest  countries  of  their  empire ;  some  of  which  I  had  read 
of  were  placed  in  Britain,  for  the  security  of  commerce,  and  for  the  lodging  of 
travelers :  and  thus  it  was  here ;  for  wherever  we  came,  though  at  these  towns 
and  stations  the  garrisons  and  governors  were  Russians  and  professed  Christians, 
yet  the  inhabitants  were  mere  pagans ;  sacrificing  to  idols,  and  worshiping  the 
sun,  moon,   and  stars,  or  all  the  host  of    heaven  ;    and  not  only  so,  but  were,  of 


yii-THH*i 


"two  of  them  seized  the  fellow  and  took  the  camel"  (/.  388). 


all  the   heathens  and    pagans  that    ever   I    met  with,   the   most  barbarous,   except 
only  that  they  did  not  eat  men's  flesh,  as  our  savages  of  America  did. 

Some  instances  of  this  we  met  with  in  the  country  between  Arguna,  where 
we  enter  the  Muscovite  dominions,  and  a  city  of  Tartars  and  Russians  together, 
called  Nortziousky,  in  which  is  a  continued  desert  or  forest,  which  cost  us  twenty 
days  to  travel  over.  In  a  village  near  the  last  of  these  places,  I  had  the 
curiosity  to  go  and  see  their  way  of  living,  which  is  most  brutish  and  insufferable. 
They  had,  I  suppose,  a  great  sacrifice  that  day ;  for  there  stood  out,  upon  an  old 
stump  of  a  tree,  an  idol  made  of  wood,  frightful  as  the  devil ;  at  least,  as  any- 
thing we  can  think  of  to  represent  the  devil  can  be  made  ;  it  had  a  head  not 
resembling  any  creature  that  the  world  ever  saw ;  ears  as  big  as  goats'  horns, 
and  as  high ;   eyes  as  big  as  a  crown  piece ;    a  nose  like  a  crooked  ram's  horn, 


An  Idol.  395 

and  a  mouth  extended  four-cornered,  like  that  of  a  lion,  with  horrible  teeth, 
hooked  like  a  parrot's  under-bill :  it  was  dressed  up  in  the  filthiest  manner  that 
you  could  suppose ;  its  upper  garment  was  of  sheep-skins,  with  the  wool 
outward ;  a  great  Tartar  bonnet  on  the  head,  with  two  horns  growing  through  it : 
it  was  about  eight  feet  high,  yet  had  no  feet  or  legs,  nor  any  other  proportion  of 
parts. 

This  scarecrow  was  set  up  at  the  outer  side  of  the  village ;  and  when  I  came 
near  to  it,  there  were  sixteen  or  seventeen  creatures — whether  mc  or  women  I 
could  not  tell,  for  they  made  no  distinction  by  their  habits — all  lying  flat  upon  the 
ground  round  this  formidable  block  of  shapeless  wood ;  I  saw  no  motion  among 
them,  any  more  than  if  they  had  been  all  logs  of  wood,  like  the  idol,  and  at  first 
I  really  thought  they  had  been  so  ;  but  when  I  came  a  little  nearer,  they  started 
up  upon  their  feet,  and  raised  a  howling  cry,  as  if  it  had  been  so  many  deep- 
mouthed  hounds,  and  walked  away,  as  if  they  were  displeased  at  our  disturbing 
them.  A  little  way  off  from  the  idol,  and  at  the  door  of  a  tent  or  hut,  made 
all  of  sheep-skins  and  cow-skins  dried,  stood  three  butchers — I  thought  they  were 
such  when  I  came  nearer  to  them,  for  I  found  they  had  long  knives  in  their 
hands ;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  tent  appeared  three  sheep  killed,  and  one  young 
bullock,  or  steer.  These,  it  seems,  were  sacrifices  to  that  senseless  log  of  an  idol ; 
the  three  men  were  priests  belonging  to  it,  and  the  seventeen  prostrated  wretches 
were  the  people  who  brought  the  offering,  and  were  making  their  prayers  to  that 
stock.    • 

I  confess  I  was  more  moved  at  their  stupidity  and  brutish  worship  of  a 
hobgoblin  than  ever  I  was  at  anything  in  my  life, — to  see  God^s  most  glorious  and 
best  creature,  to  whom  He  had  granted  so  many  advantages,  even  by  creation, 
above  the  rest  of  the  works  of  His  hands,  vested  with  a  reasonable  soul,  and  that 
soul  adorned  with  faculties  and  capacities  adapted  both  to  honor  his  Maker 
and  to  be  honored  by  Him,  sunk  and  degenerated  to  a  degree  so  very  stupid 
as  to  prostrate  itself  to  a  frightful  nothing,  a  mere  imaginary  object  dressed  up 
by  themselves  and  made  terrible  to  themselves  by  their  own  contrivance,  adorned 
only  with  clouts  and  rags, — and  that  this  should  be  the  effect  of  mere  ignorance, 
wrought  up  into  hellish  devotion  by  the  devil  himself,  who,  envying  his  Maker  the 
homage  and  adoration  of  His  creatures,  had  deluded  them  into  such  sordid  and 
brutish  things  as  one  would  think  would  shock  Nature  itself! 

But  what  signified  all  the  astonishment  and  reflection  of  thoughts?  And  thus 
it  was,  and  I  saw  it  before  my  eyes,  and  there  was  no  room  to  wonder  at  it,  or 
think  it  impossible ;  all  my  admiration  turned  to  rage,  and  I  rode  up  to  the 
image  or  monster — call  it  what  you  will — and  with  my  sword  made  a  stroke  at  the 
bonnet  that  was  on  its  head,  and  cut  it  in  two ;  and  one  of  our  men  that  was 
with  me  took  hold  of  the  sheep-skin  that  covered  it,  and  pulled  at  it,  when, 
behold,  a  most  hideous  outcry  and  howling  ran  through  the  village,  and  two 
or  three  hundred  people  came  about  my  ears,  so  that  I  was  glad  to  scour  for  it, 
for  we  saw  some  had  some  bows  and  arrows ;  but  I  resolved  from  that  moment  to 
visit  them  again. 


396  Robinson  Crusoe. 

Our  caravan  rested  three  nights  at  the  town,  which  was  about  four  miles  off, 
in  order  to  provide  some  horses  which  they  wanted,  several  of  the  horses  having 
been  lamed  and  jaded  with  the  badness  of  the  way  and  long  march  over  the  last 
desert ;  so  we  had  some  leisure  here  to  put  my  design  in  execution.  I 
communicated  it  to  the  Scots  merchant  of  Moscow,  of  whose  courage  I  had 
sufficient  testimony ;  I  told  him  what  I  had  seen,  and  with  what  indignation  I  had 
since  thought  that  human  nature  could  be  so  degenerate ;  I  told  him  if  I  could 
get  but  four  or  five  men  well  armed  to  go  with  me,  I  was  resolved  to  go  and 
destroy  that  vile,  abominable  idol,  and  let  them  see  that  it  had  no  power  to  help 
itself,  and  consequently  could  not  be  an  object  of  worship,  or  to  be  prayed  to, 
much  less  help  them  that  offered  sacrifices  to  it. 

He  laughed  at  me ;  says  he,  "  Your  zeal  may  be  good,  but  what  do  you 
propose  to  yourself  by  it?"  "Propose!"  said  I;  "  to  vindicate  the  honor  of  God, 
which  is  insulted  by  this  devil-worship."  "  But  how  will  it  vindicate  the  honor  of 
God,"  said  he,  "  while  the  people  will  not  be  able  to  know  what  you  mean  by  it, 
unless  you  could  speak  to  them,  and  tell  them  so?  and  then  they  will  fight  you, 
and  beat  you,  too,  I  assure  you ;  for  they  are  desperate  fellows,  and  that 
especially  in  defense  of  their  idolatry."  "  Can  we  not,"  said  I,  "  do  it  in  the 
night,  and  then  leave  them  the  reasons  and  the  causes  in  writing  in  their  own 
language?"  "Writing!"  said  he;  "why,  there  is  not  a  man  in  five  nations  of 
them  that  knows  anything  of  a  letter,  or  how  to  read  a  word  any  way." 
"Wretched  ignorance!  "  said  I  to  him;  "however,  I  have  a  great  mind  to  do  it; 
perhaps  nature  may  draw  inferences  from  it  to  them,  to  let  them  see  how  brutish 
they  are  to  worship  such  horrid  things."  "  Look  you,  sir,"  said  he  ;  "  if  your  zeal 
prompts  you  to  it  so  warmly,  you  must  do  it ;  but,  in  the  next  place,  I  would 
have  you  consider  these  wild  nations  of  people  are  subjected  by  force  to  the  Czar 
of  Muscovy's  dominion ;  and  if  you  do  this,  it  is  ten  to  one  but  they  will  come 
by  thousands  to  the  governor  of  Nertzinskay  and  demand  satisfaction ;  and  if  he 
cannot  give  them  satisfaction,  it  is  ten  to  one  but  they  revolt,  and  it  will  occasion 
a  new  war  with  all  the  Tartars  in  the  country." 

This,  I  confess,  put  new  thoughts  into  my  head  for  awhile ;  but  I  harped 
upon  the  same  string  still ;  and  all  that  day  I  was  uneasy  to  put  my  project  into 
execution.  Towards  the  evening,  the  Scots  merchant  met  me  by  accident  in  our 
walk  about  the  town,  and  desired  to  speak  with  me.  "  I  believe,"  said  he,  "  I 
have  put  you  off  your  good  design.  I  have  been  a  little  concerned  about  it 
since,  for  I  abhor  idolatry  as  much  as  you  can  do."  "Truly,"  said  I,  "you  have 
put  off  a  little  the  execution  of  it ;  but  you  "have  not  put  it  out  of  my  thoughts, 
and  I  believe  I  shall  do  it  before  I  quit  this  place,  though  I  were  to  be  delivered 
up  to  them  for  satisfaction."  "  No,  no,"  said  he ;  "  God  forbid  they  should 
deliver  you  up  to  such  a  crew  of  monsters !  They  shall  not  do  that  either ;  that 
would  be  murdering  you,  indeed."  "Why,"  said  I,  "how  would  they  use  me?" 
"Use  you!"  said  he;  "I'll  tell  you  how  they  served  a  poor  Russian  who 
affronted  them  in  their  worship  just  as  you  did,  and  whom  they  took  prisoner, 
after  they  had  lamed  him  with  an  arrow  that  he  could  not  run  away.     They  took 


A  Plot  Against  the  Tool.  397 

him  and  stripped  him  stark  naked,  and  set  him  upon  the  top  of  the  idol-monster, 
and  stood  all  round  him,  and  shot  as  many  arrows  into  him  as  would  stick  over 
his  whole  body;  and  then  they  burned  him  and  all  the  arrows  sticking  in  him, 
as  a  sacrifice  to  the  idol."  "And  was  this  the  same  idol?"  said  I.  "Yes,"  said 
he,  "  the  very  same."  "  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  will  tell  you  a  story."  So  I  related 
the  story  of  our  men  at  Madagascar,  and  how  they  burned  and  sacked  the  village 
there,  and  killed  man,  woman,  and  child,  for  their  murdering  one  of  our  men,  just 
as  it  is  related  before ;  and  I  added  that  I  thought  we  ought  to  do  so  to  this 
village. 

He  listened  very  attentively  to  the  story ;  but  when  I  talked  of  doing  so  to 
that  village,  said  he,  "  You  mistake  very  much ;  it  was  not  this  village — it  was 
almost  a  hundred  miles  from  this  place ;  but  it  was  the  same  idol,  for  they  carry 
him  about  in  procession  all  over  the  country."  "Well,"  said  I,  "then  that  idol 
ought  to  be  punished  for  it;   and  it  shall,"  said  I,  "if  I  live  this  night  out." 

In  a  word,  finding  me  resolute,  he  liked  the  design,  and  told  me  I  should 
not  go  alone,  but  he  would  go  with  me,  but  he  would  go  first  and  bring  a  stout 
fellow,  one  of  his  countrymen,  to  go  also  with  us;  "and  one,"  said  he,  "as  famous 
for  his  zeal  as  you  can  desire  any  one  to  be  against  such  devilish  things  as 
these."  In  a  word,  he  brought  me  his  comrade,  a  Scotsman,  whom  he  called 
Captain  Richardson ;  and  I  gave  him  a  full  account  of  what  I  had  seen,  and  also 
what  I  intended ;  and  he  told  me  readily  he  would  go  with  me  if  it  cost  him  his 
life.  So  we  agreed  to  go — only  we  three.  I  had,  indeed,  proposed  it  to  my 
partner,  but  he  declined  it.  He  said  he  was  ready  to  assist  me  to  the  utmost, 
and  upon  all  occasions,  for  my  defense ;  but  this  was  an  adventure  quite  out  of 
his  way;  so,  I  say,  we  resolved  upon  our  work,  only  we  three  "and  my  man-ser- 
vant, and  to  put  it  in  execution  that  night  about  midnight,  with  all  the  secrecy 
imaginable. 

However,  upon  second  thoughts,  we  were  willing  to  delay  it  till  the  next  night, 
because  the  caravan  being  to  set  forward  in  the  morning,  we  supposed  the  governor 
could  not  pretend  to  give  them  any  satisfaction  upon  us  when  we  were  out  of  his 
power.  The  Scots  merchant,  as  steady  in  his  resolution  for  the  enterprise  as  bold 
in  executing,  brought  me  a  Tartar's  robe  or  gown  of  sheep-skins,  and  a  bonnet, 
with  a  bow  and  arrows,  and  had  provided  the  same  for  himself  and  his  countryman, 
that  the  people,  if  they  saw  us,  should  not  determine  who  we  were. 

All  the  first  night  we  spent  in  mixing  up  some  combustible  matter,  with  aqua 
vitse,  gunpowder,  and  such  other  materials  as  we  could  get ;  and  having  a  good 
quantity  of  tar  in  a  little  pot,  about  an  hour  after  night  we  set  out  upon  our 
expedition. 

We  came  to  the  place  about  eleven  o'clock  at  night,  and  found  that  the 
people  had  not  the  least  jealousy  of  danger  attending  their  idol.  The  night  was 
cloudy ;  yet  the  moon  gave  us  light  enough  to  see  that  the  idol  stood  just  in  the 
same  posture  and  place  that  it  did  before.  The  people  seemed  to  be  all  at  their 
rest ;  only  that  in  the  great  hut  or  tent,  as  we  called  it,  where  we  saw  the  three 
priests,  whom  we  mistook  for  butchers,  we  saw  a  light,  and  going  up  close  to  the 


398  Robinson  Crusoe. 

door,  we  heard  people  talking  as  if  there  were  five  or  six  of  them ;  we  concluded, 
therefore,  that  if  we  set  wildfire  to  the  idol,  these  men  would  come  out 
immediately,  and  run  up  to  the  place"  to  rescue  it  from  the  destruction  that  we 
intended  for  it ;  and  what  we  intended  to  do  with  them  we  knew  not.  Once  we 
thought  of  carrying  it  away,  and  setting  fire  to  it  at  a  distance ;  but  when  we 
came  to  handle  it,  we  found  it  too  bulky  for  our  carriage ;  so  we  were  at  a  loss 
again.  The  second  Scotsman  was  for  setting  fire  to  the  tent  or  hut,  and  knock- 
ing the  creatures  that  were  there  on  the  head  when  they  came  out ;  but  I  could 
not  join  with  that;  I  was  against  killing  them,  if  it  were  possible  to  avoid  it. 
"Well,  then,"  says  the  Scots  merchant,  "T  will  tell  you  what  we  will  do:  we 
will  try  to  make  them  prisoners,  tie  their  hands,  and  make  them  stand  and  see 
their  idol  destroyed." 

As  it  happened,  we  had  twine  or  pack-thread  enough  about  us,  which  we 
used  to  tie  our  firelocks  together  with ;  so  we  resolved  to  attack  these  people 
first,  and  with  as  little  noise  as  we  could.  The  first  thing  we  did  we  knocked 
at  the  door,  when  one  of  the  priests  coming  to  it,  we  immediately  seized  upon 
him,  stopped  his  mouth,  and  tied  his  hands  behind  him,  and  led  him  to  the  idol, 
where  we  gagged  him  that  he  might  not  make  a  noise,  tied  his  feet  also  together, 
and  left  him  on  the  ground. 

Two  of  us  then  waited  at  the  door,  expecting  that  another  would  come  out  to 
see  what  the  matter  was ;  but  we  waited  so  long  till  the  third  man  came  back  to 
us ;  and  then  nobody  coming  out,  we  knocked  again  gently,  and  immediately  out 
came  two  more,  and  we  served  them  just  in  the  same  manner,  but  were  obliged 
to  go  all  with  them,  and  lay  them  down  by  the  idol  some  distance  from  one 
another ;  when,  going  back,  we  found  two  more  were  come  out  to  the  door,  and 
a  third  stood  behind  them  within  the  door.  We  seized  the  two,  and  immediately 
tied  them,  when  the  third,  stepping  back  and  crying  out,  my  Scots  merchant  went 
in  after  them,  and  taking  out  a  composition  we  had  made  that  would  only  smoke 
and  stink,  he  set  fire  to  it,  and  threw  it  in  among  them.  By  that  time  the 
other  Scotsman  and  my  man,  taking  charge  of  the  two  men  already  bound,  and 
tied  together  also  by  the  arm,  led  them  away  to  the  idol,  and  left  them  there,  to 
see  if  their  idol  would  relieve  them,  making  haste  back  to  us. 

When  the  furze  we  had  thrown  in  had  filled  the  hut  with  so  much  smoke 
that  they  were  almost  suffocated,  we  then  threw  in  a  small  leather  bag  of 
another  kind,  which  flamed  like  a  candle,  and  following  it  in,  we  found  there 
were  but  four  people,  and,  as  we  supposed,  had  been  about  some  of  their 
diabolical  sacrifices.  They  appeared,  in  short,  frightened  to  death,  at  least  so  as 
to  sit  trembling  and  stupid,  and  not  able  to  speak  either  for  the  smoke. 

In  a  word,  we  took  them,  bound  them  as  we  had  done  the  other,  and  all 
without  any  noise.  I  should  have  said  we  brought  them  out  of  the  house  or  hut 
first ;  for  indeed  we  were  not  able  to  bear  the  smoke  any  more  than  they  were. 
When  we  had  done  this,  we  carried  them  all  together  to  the  idol ;  when  we  came 
there,  we  fell  to  work  with  him ;  and  first  we  daubed  him  all  over,  and  his  robes 
also,  with  tar,  and  such  other  stuff  as  we  had,  which  was  tallow  mixed  with  brim- 


The  Idol  is  Blown  Up.  399 

stone ;  then  we  stopped  his  eyes,  and  ears,  and  mouth  full  of  gunpowder ;  then 
we  wrapped  up  a  great  piece  of  wildfire  in  his  bonnet ;  and  then  sticking  all  the 
combustibles  we  had  brought  with  us  upon  him,  we  looked  about  us  to  see  if  we 
could  find  anything  else  to  help  to  burn  him  ;  when  my  Scotsman  remembered 
that  by  the  tent  or  hut,  where  the  men  were,  there  lay  a  heap  of  dry  forage, 
whether  straw  or  rushes  I  do  not  remember ;  away  he  and  the  other  Scotsman 
ran  and  fetched  their  arms  full  of  that.  When  we  had  done  this,  we  took  all  our 
prisoners,  and  brought  them,  having  untied  their  feet  and  ungagged  their  mouths, 
and  made  them  stand  up,  and  set  them  before  their  monstrous  idol,  and  then  set 
fire  to  the  whole. 

We  stayed  by  it  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  or  thereabouts,  till  the  powder  in  the 
eyes,  and  mouth,  and  ears  of  the  idol  blew  up,  and,  as  we  could  perceive,  had 
split  and  deformed  the  shape  of  it ;  and,  in  a  word,  till  we  saw  it  burned  into  a 
mere  block  or  log  of  wood ;  and  setting  dry  forage  to  it,  we  found  it  would  be 
soon  quite  consumed ;  so  we  began  to  think  of  going  away ;  but  the  Scotsman 
said,  "  No,  we  must  not  go,  for  these  poor  deluded  wretches  will  all  throw  them- 
selves into  the  fire,  and  burn  themselves  with  the  idol."  So  we  resolved  to  stay 
till  the  forage  was  burned  down  too,  and  then  came  away  and  left  them. 

After  the  feat  was  performed,  we  appeared  in  the  morning  among  our  fellow- 
travelers,  exceedingly  busy  in  getting  ready  for  our  journey ;  nor  could  any  man 
suggest  that  we  had  been  anywhere  but  in  our  beds,  as  travelers  might  be  sup- 
posed to  be,  to  fit  themselves  for  the  fatigues  of  the  day's  journey. 

But  the  affair  did  not  end  so ;  the  next  day  came  a  great  number  of  the 
country  people  to  the  town  gates,  and  in  a  most  outrageous  manner  demanded 
satisfaction  of  the  Russian  governor  for  the  insulting  their  priests,  and  burning 
their  great  Cham  Chi-Thaungu.  The  people  of  Nertzinskay  were  at  first  in  a  great 
consternation,  for  they  said  the  Tartars  were  already  no  less  than  thirty  thousand 
strong.  The  Russian  governor  sent  out  messengers  to  appease  them,  and  gave 
them  all  the  good  words  possible ;  assuring  them  that  he  knew  nothing  of  it,  and 
that  there  had  not  a  soul  in  his  garrison  been  abroad,  so  that  it  could  not  be 
from  anybody  there ;  but  if  they  could  let  him  know  who  did  it,  they  should  be 
exemplarily  punished.  They  returned  haughtily,  that  all  the  country  reverenced 
the  great  Cham  Chi-Thaungu,  who  dwelt  in  the  sun,  and  no  mortal  would  have 
dared  to  offer  violence  to  his  image  but  some  Christian  miscreant ;  and  they  there- 
fore resolved  to  denounce  war  against  him  and  all  the  Russians,  who,  they  said, 
were  miscreants  and  Christians. 

The  governor,  still  patient,  and  unwilling  to  make  a  breach,  or  to  have  any 
cause  of  war  alleged  to  be  given  by  him,  the  Czar  having  strictly  charged  him  to 
treat  the  conquered  country  with  gentleness  and  civility,  gave  them  still  all  the 
good  words  he  could.  At  last  he  told  them  there  was  a  caravan  gone  towards 
Russia  that  morning,  and  perhaps  it  was  some  of  them  who  had  done  them  this 
injury ;  and  that  if  they  would  be  satisfied  with  that,  he  would  send  after  them  to 
inquire  into  it.  This  seemed  to  appease  them  a  little ;  and  accordingly  the 
governor  sent  after  us,   and    gave   us  a  particular    account  how  the   thing  was; 


400  Robinson  Crusoe. 

intimating  withal,  that  if  any  in  our  caravan  had  done  it,  they  should  make  their 
escape ;  but  that  whether  we  had  done  it  or  no,  we  should  make  all  the  haste 
forward  that  was  possible;  and  that,' in  the  meantime,  he  would  keep  them  in 
play  as  long  as  he  could. 

This  was  very  friendly  in  the  governor ;  however,  when  it  came  to  the  caravan, 
there  was  nobody  knew  anything  of  the  matter ;  and  as  for  us  that  were  guilty, 
we  were  least  of  all  suspected.  However,  the  captain  of  the  caravan  for  the  time 
took  the  hint  that  the  governor  gave  us,  and  we  traveled  two  days  and  two  nights 
without  any  considerable  stop,  and  then  we  lay  at  a  village  called  Plothus ;  nor  did 
we  make  any  long  stop  here,  but  hastened  on  towards  Jarawena,  another  of  the 
Czar  of  Muscovy's  colonies,  and  where  we  expected  we  should  be  safe.  But  upon 
the  second  day's  march  from  Plothus,  by  the  clouds  of  dust  behind  us  at  a  great 
distance,  some  of  our  people  began  to  be  sensible  we  were  pursued.  We  had 
entered  a  great  desert,  and  had  passed  by  a  great  lake  called  Schaks  Oser,  when 
we  perceived  a  very  great  body  of  horse  appear  on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  to 
the  north,  we  traveling  west.  We  observed  they  went  away  west,  as  we  did,  but 
had  supposed  we  would  have  taken  that  side  of  the  lake,  whereas  we  very  happily 
took  the  south  side ;  and  in  two  days  more  they  disappeared  again :  for  they, 
believing  we  were  still  before  them,  pushed  on  till  they  came  to  the  river  Udda, 
a  very  great  river  when  it  passes  farther  north,  but  when  we  came  to  it  we  found 
it  narrow  and  fordable. 

The  third  day  they  had  either  found  their  mistake  or  had  intelligence  of  us, 
and  came  pouring  in  upon  us  towards  the  dusk  of  the  evening.  We  had,  to  our 
great  satisfaction,  just  pitched  upon  a  place  for  our  camp,  which  was  very 
convenient  for  the  night ;  for  as  we  were  upon  a  desert,  though  but  at  the 
beginning  of  it,  that  was  above  five  hundred  miles  over,  we  had  no  towns  to 
lodge  at,  and,  indeed,  expected  none  but  the  city  Jarawena,  which  we  had  yet 
two  days'  march  to  ;  the  desert,  however,  had  some  few  woods  in  it  on  this  side ; 
and  little  rivers,  which  ran  all  into  the  great  river  Udda ;  it  was  in  a  narrow 
strait,  between  little  but  very  thick  woods,  that  we  pitched  our  little  camp  for 
that  night,  expecting  to  be  attacked  before  morning. 

Nobody  knew  but  ourselves  what  we  were  pursued  for:  but  as  it  was  usual 
for  the  Mogul  Tartars  to  go  about  in  troops  in  that  desert,  so  the  caravans 
always  fortify  themselves  every  night  against  them,  as  against  armies  of  robbers ; 
and  it  was,  therefore,  no  new  thing  to  be  pursued. 

But  we  had  this  night,  of  all  the  nights  of  our  travels,  a  most  advantageous 
camp ;  for  we  lay  between  two  woods,-  with  a  little  rivulet  running  just  before 
our  front,  so  that  we  could  not  be  surrounded,  or  attacked  any  way  but  in  our 
front  or  rear.  We  took  care  also  to  make  our  front  as  strong  as  we  could,  by 
placing  our  packs,  with  our  camels  and  horses,  all  in  a  line,  on  the  inside  of  the 
river,  and  felling  some  trees  in  our  rear. 

In  this  posture  we  encamped  for  the  night ;  but  the  enemy  was  upon  us  before 
we  had  finished.  They  did  not  come  on  us  like  thieves,  as  we  expected,  but  sent 
three  messengers  to  us,  to  demand  the  men  to    be    delivered  to  them  that  had 


March  Through  a  Desert.  401 

abused  their  priests,  and  burned  their  god  Cham  Chi-Thaungu  with  fire,  that  they 
might  burn  them  with  fire ;  and  upon  this,  they  said,  they  would  go  away,  and 
do  us  no  further  harm ;  otherwise  they  would  destroy  us  all.  Our  men  looked 
very  blank  at  this  message,  and  began  to  stare  at  one  another  to  see  who  looked 
with  the  most  guilt  in  their  faces ;  but  nobody  was  the  word — nobody  did  it. 
The  leader  of  the  caravan  sent  word  he  was  well  assured  that  it  was  not  done  by 
any  of  our  camp ;  that  we  were  peaceful  merchants,  traveling  on  our  business ; 
that  we  had  done  no  harm  to  them  or  to  any  one  else ;  and  that,  therefore,  they 
must  look  farther  for  their  enemies  who  had  injured  them,  for  we  were  not  the 
people ;  so  he  desired  them  not  to  disturb  us,  for  if  they  did  we  should  defend 
ourselves. 

They  were  far  from  being  satisfied  with  this  for  an  answer ;  and  a  great  crowd 
of  them  came  running  down  in  the  morning,  by  break  of  day,  to  our  camp ;  but 
seeing  us  in  such  an  unaccountable  situation,  they  durst  come  no  farther  than 
the  brook  in  our  front,  where  they  stood,  and  showed  us  such  a  number  that 
indeed  terrified  us  very  much;  for  those  that  spoke  least  of  them  spoke  of  ten 
thousand.  Here  they  stood  and  looked  at  us  awhile,  and  then  setting  up  a  great 
howl,  they  let  fly  a  crowd  of  arrows  among  us ;  but  we  were  well  enough  fortified 
for  that,  for  we  sheltered  under  our  baggage,  and  I  do  not  remember  that  one  of 
us  was  hurt. 

Some  time  after  this  we  saw  them  move  a  little  to  our  right,  and  expected 
them  on  the  rear :  when  a  cunning  fellow,  a  Cossack  of  Jarawena,  in  the  pay  of 
the  Muscovites,  calling  to  the  leader  of  the  caravan,  said  to  him,  "  I'll  go  send 
all  these  people  away  to  Sibeilka."  This  was  a  city  four  or  five  days'  journey  at 
least  to  the  right,  and  rather  behind  us.  So  he  takes  his  bow  and  arrows,  and 
getting  on  horseback,  he  rides  away  from  our  rear  directly,  "as  it  were  back  to 
Nertzinskay ;  after  this  he  takes  a  great  circuit  about,  and  comes  directly  on  the 
army  of  the  Tartars,  as  if  he  had  been  sent  express  to  tell  them  a  long 
story  that  the  people  who  had  burned  the  Cham  Chi-Thaungu  were  gone 
to  Sibeilka,  with  a  caravan  of  miscreants,  as  he  called  them — that  is  to  say, 
Christians :  and  that  they  had  resolved  to  burn  the  god  Schal-Isar,  belonging  to 
the  Tongueses. 

As  this  fellow  was  himself  a  mere  Tartar,  and  perfectly  spoke  their  language, 
he  counterfeited  so  well  that  they  all  believed  him,  and  away  they  drove  in  a 
most  violent  hurry  to  Sibeilka,  which,  it  seems,  was  five  days'  journey  to  the  north ; 
and  in  less  than. three  hours  they  were  entirely  out  of  our  sight,  and  we  never 
heard  any  more  of  them,  nor  whether  they  went  to  Sibeilka  or  no.  So  we  passed 
away  safely  on  to  Jarawena,  where  there  was  a  garrison  of  Muscovites,  and  there 
we  rested  five  days ;  the  caravan  being  exceedingly  fatigued  with  the  last  day's  hard 
march,  and  with  want  of  rest  in  the  night. 

From  this  city  we  had  a  frightful  desert,  which  held  us  twenty-three  days' 
march.  We  furnished  ourselves  with  some  tents  here,  for  the  better  accommodating 
ourselves  in  the  night ;  and  the  leader  of  the  caravan  procured  sixteen  carriages 
or  wagons  of  the  country,  for  carrying  our  water  or  provisions ;   and  these  carriages 


402  Robinson  Crusoe. 

were  our  defense  every  night  round  our  little  camp :  so  that  had  the  Tartars 
appeared,  unless  they  had  been  very  numerous  indeed,  they  would  not  have  been 
able  to  hurt  us. 

We  may  well  be  supposed  to  have  wanted  rest  again  after  this  long  journey ; 
for  in  this  desert  we  neither  saw  house  nor  tree,  and  scarce  a  bush ;  though  we 
saw  abundance  of  the  sable  hunters,  who  are  all  Tartars  of  the  Mogul  Tartary,  of 
which  this  country  is  a  part ;  and  they  frequently  attack  small  caravans,  but  we 
saw  no  numbers  of  them  together. 

After  we  had  passed  this  desert,  we  came  into  a  country  pretty  well  inhabited ; 
that  is  to  say,  we  found  towns  and  castles,  settled  by  the  Czar  of  Muscovy,  with 
garrisons  of  stationary  soldiers,  to  protect  the  caravans  and  defend  the  country 
against  the  Tartars,  who  would  otherwise  make  it  very  dangerous  traveling;  and 
his  czarish  majesty  has  given  such  strict  orders  for  the  well  guarding  the  caravans 
and  merchants,  that,  if  there  are  any  Tartars  heard  of  in  the  country,  detachments 
of  the  garrison  are  always  sent  to  see  the  travelers  safe  from  station  to  station. 
And  thus  the  governor  of  Adinskoy,  whom  I  had  an  opportunity  to  make  a  visit 
to  by  means  of  the  Scots  merchant,  who  was  acquainted  with  him,  offered  us  a 
guard  of  fifty  men,  if  we  thought  there  was  any  danger,  to  the  next  station. 

I  thought,  long  before  this,  that  as  we  came  nearer  to  Europe  we  should  find 
the  country  better  inhabited,  and  the  people  more  civilized ;  but  I  found  myself 
mistaken  in  both ;  for  we  had  yet  the  nation  of  the  Tongueses  to  pass  through, 
where  we  saw  the  same  tokens  of  paganism  and  barbarity  as  before ;  only,  as 
they  were  conquered  by  the  Muscovites,  they  were  not  so  dangerous ;  but  for 
rudeness  of  manners  and  idolatry,  no  people  in  the  world  ever  went  beyond  them ; 
they  are  clothed  all  in  skins  of  beasts,  and  their  houses  are  built  of  the  same ; 
you  know  not  a  man  from  a  woman,  neither  by  the  ruggedness  of  their  counte- 
nances nor  their  clothes ;  and  in  the  winter,  when  the  ground  is  covered  with 
snow,  they  live  underground  in  vaults,  which  have  cavities  going  from  one  to 
another. 

If  the  Tartars  had  their  Cham  Chi-Thaungu  for  a  whole  village  or  country, 
these  had  idols  in  every  hut  and  every  cave :  besides,  they  worship  the  stars,  the 
sun,  the  water,  the  snow,  and,  in  a  word,  everything  they  do  not  understand,  and 
they  understand  but  very  little ;  so  that  every  element,  every  uncommon  thing, 
sets  them  sacrificing.  I  met  with  nothing  peculiar  myself  in  all  this  country,  which 
I  reckon  was,  from  the  desert  I  spoke  of  last,  at  least  four  hundred  miles,  half  of 
it  being  another  desert,  which  took  us  up  twelve  days'  severe  traveling,  without 
house  or  tree ;  and  we  were  obliged  again  to  carry  our  own  provisions,  as  well 
water  as  bread.  After  we  were  out  of  this  desert,  and  had  traveled  two  days,  we 
came  to  Janezay,  a  Muscovite  city,  or  station,  on  the  great  river  Janezay,  which, 
they  told  us  there,  parted  Europe  from  Asia. 

Here  I  observed  ignorance  and  paganism  still  prevailed,  except  in  the  Muscovite 
garrisons.  All  the  country  between  the  river  Oby  and  the  river  Janezay  is  as 
entirely  pagan,  and  the  people  as  barbarous,  as  the  remotest  of  the  Tartars ;  nay, 
as  any  nation,  for    aught   I  know,  in  Asia  or  America.     I  also  found,  which   I 


In  Siberia. 


403 


observed  to  the  Muscovite  governors  whom  I  had  an  opportunity  to  converse  with, 
that  the  poor  pagans  are  not  much  wiser,  or  nearer  Christianity,  for  being  under 
the  Muscovite  government,  which  they  acknowledged  was  true  enough ;  but  that, 
as  they  said,  was  none  of  their  business ;  that  if  the  Czar  expected  to  convert  his 
Siberian,  Tonguese,  or  Tartar  subjects,  it  should  be  done  by  sending  clergymen 
among  them,  not  soldiers ;  and  they  added,  with  more  sincerity  than  I  expected, 
that  they  found  it  was  not  so  much  the  concern  of  their  monarch  to  make  the 
people  Christians  as  it  was  to  make  them  subjects. 

From  this  river  to  the  great  river  Oby,  we  crossed  a  wild,  uncultivated  country, 
barren  of  people  and  good  management ;   otherwise  it  is  in  itself  a  most  pleasant, 


"sent  three  messengers  to  us"  (/>.  400). 


fruitful,  and  .agreeable  country.  What  inhabitants  we  found  in  it  are  all  pagans, 
except  such  as  are  sent  among  them  from  Russia ;  for  this  is  the  country — I 
mean  on  both  sides  the  river  Oby — whither  the  Muscovite  criminals  that  are  not 
put  to  death  are  banished,  and  from  whence  it  is  next  to  impossible  they  should 
ever  get  away. 

I  have  nothing  material  to  say  of  my  particular  affairs  till  I  came  to  Tobolski, 
the  capital  city  of  Siberia,  where  I  continued  some  time  on  the  following  account. 

We  had  now  been  almost  seven  months  on  our  journey,  and  winter  began  to 
come  on  apace ;  whereupon  my  partner  and  I  called  a  council  about  our  particular 
affairs,  in  which  we  found  it  proper,  as  we  were  bound  for  England,  and  not  for 
Moscow,  to  consider  how  to  dispose  of  ourselves.  They  told  us  of  sledges  and 
reindeer  to  carry  us  over  the  snow  in  the  winter  time ;  and,  indeed,  they  have 
such  things  that  it  would  be  incredible  to  relate  the  particulars  of,  by  which 
means  the   Russians  travel  more  in  winter  than  they  can  in  summer,  as  in  these 


4©4  Robinson'  Crusoe. 

sledges  they  are  able  to  run  night  and  day ;  the  snow,  being  frozen,  is  one  universal 
covering  to  Nature,  by  which  the  hills,  vales,  rivers,  and  lakes  are  all  smooth  and 
hard  as  a  stone,  and  they  run  upon  the  surface,  without  any  regard  to  what  is 
underneath. 

But  I  had  no  occasion  to  urge  a  winter  journey  of  this  kind :  I  was  bound 
to  England,  not  to  Moscow,  and  my  route  lay  two  ways :  either  I  must  go  on 
as  the  caravan  went,  till  I  came  to  Jaroslaw,  and  then  go  off  west  for  Narva, 
and  the  Gulf  of  Finland,  and  so  on  to  Dantzic,  where  I  might  possibly  sell 
my  China  cargo  to  good  advantage ;  or  I  must  leave  the  caravan  at  a  little 
town  on  the  Dwina,  from  whence  I  had  but  six  days  by  water  to  Archangel, 
and  from  thence  might  be  sure  of  shipping  either  to  England,  Holland,  or 
Hamburg. 

Now,  to  go  any  of  these  journeys  in  the  winter  would  have  been  preposterous ; 
for  as  to  Dantzic,  the  Baltic  would  have  been  frozen  up,  and  I  could  not  get 
passage ;  and  to  go  by  land  in  those  countries  was  far  less  safe  than  among  the 
Mogul  Tartars ;  likewise,  to  go  to  Archangel  in  October,  all  the  ships  would  be 
gone  from  thence,  and  even  the  merchants  who  dwell  there  in  summer  retire  south 
to  Moscow  in  the  winter,  when  the  ships  are  gone ;  so  that  I  could  have  nothing 
but  extremity  of  cold  to  encounter,  with  a  scarcity  of  provisions,  and  must  lie  in 
an  empty  town  all  the  winter;  so  that,  upon  the  whole,  I  thought  it  much  my 
better  way  to  let  the  caravan  go,  and  make  provision  to  winter  where  I  was, 
at  Tobolski,  in  Siberia,  in  the  latitude  of  about  sixty  degrees,  where  I  was 
sure  of  three  things  to  wear  out  a  cold  winter  with — viz.,  plenty  of  provisions, 
such  as  the  country  afforded,  a  warm  house,  with  fuel  enough,  and  excellent 
company. 

I  was  now  in  quite  a  different  climate  from  my  beloved  island,  where  I  never 
felt  cold,  except  when  I  had  my  ague ;  on  the  contrary,  I  had  much  to  do  to 
bear  any  clothes  on  my  back,  and  never  made  any  fire  but  without  doors, 
which  was  necessary  for  dressing  my  food,  etc.  Now  I  had  three  good  vests, 
with  large  robes  or  gowns  over  them,  to  hang  down  to  the  feet,  and  button 
close  to  the  wrists ;  and  all  these  lined  with  furs,  to  make  them  sufficiently 
warm. 

As  to  a  warm  house,  I  must  confess  I  greatly  disliked  our  way  in  England 
of  making  fires  in  every  room  in  the  house  in  open  chimneys,  which,  when  the 
fire  was  out,  always  kept  the  air  in  the  room  cold  as  the  climate ;  but  taking  an 
apartment  in  a  good  house  in  the  town,  I  ordered  a  chimney  to  be  built  like  a 
furnace,  in  the  center  of  six  several  rooms,  like  a  stove ;  the  funnel  to  carry  the 
smoke  went  up  one  way,  the  door  to  come  at  the  fire  went  in  another,  and  all 
the  rooms  were  kept  equally  warm,  but  no  fire  seen,  just  as  they  heat  the  bagnios 
in  England.  By  this  means  we  had  always  the  same  climate  in  all  the  rooms, 
and  an  equal  heat  was  preserved ;  and  how  cold  soever  it  was  without,  it  was 
always  warm  within ;  and  yet  we  saw  no  fire  nor  were  ever  incommoded  with 
smoke. 

The  most  wonderful  thing  of  all  was,  that  it  should  be  possible  to  meet  with 


In  Siberia.  405 

good  company  here,  in  a  country  so  barbarous  as  that  of  the  most  northerly  parts 
of  Europe,  near  the  Frozen  Ocean,  within  but  a  very  few  degrees  of  Nova  Zem- 
bla.  But  this  being  the  country  where  the  state  criminals  of  Muscovy,  as  I 
observed  before,  are  all  banished,  this  city  was  full  of  noblemen,  gentlemen, 
soldiers,  and  courtiers  of  Muscovy.  Here  was  the  famous  Prince  Galitzin,  the  old 
General  Robostiski,  and  several  other  persons  of  note,  and  some  ladies.  By 
means  of  my  Scots  merchant,  whom,  nevertheless,  I  parted  with  here,  I 
made  an  acquaintance  with  several  of  these  gentlemen ;  and  from  these,  in 
the  long  winter  nights  in  which  I  stayed  here,  I  received  several  very  agreeable 
visits. 

It  was  talking  one  night  with  Prince ,  one  of  the  banished  ministers   of 

state  belonging  to  the  Czar  of  Muscovy,  that  the  discourse  of  my  particular  case 
began.  He  had  been  telling  me  abundance  of  fine  things  of  the  greatness,  the 
magnificence,  the  dominions,  and  the  absolute  power  of  the  Emperor  of  the  Rus- 
sians :  I  interrupted  him,  and  told  him  I  was  a  greater  and  more  powerful  prince 
than  even  the  Czar  of  Muscovy  was,  though  my  dominions  were  not  so.  large,  or 
my  people  so  many.  The  Russian  grandee  looked  a  little  surprised,  and,  fixing 
his  eyes  steadily  upon  me,  began  to  wonder  what  I  meant.  I  told  him  his 
wonder  would  cease  when  I  had  explained  myself.  First,  I  told  him  I  had 
absolute  disposal  of  the  lives  and  fortunes  of  all  my  subjects ;  that  notwithstanding 
my  absolute  power,  I  had  not  one  person  disaffected  to  my  government,  or  to  my 
person,  in  all  my  dominions.  He  shook  his  head  at  that,  and  said,  there,  indeed, 
I  outdid  the  Czar  of  Muscovy.  I  told  him  that  all  the  lands  in  my  kingdom 
were  my  own,  and  all  my  subjects  were  not  only  my  tenants,  but  tenants  at 
will ;  that  they  would  all  fight  for  me  to  the  last  drop ;  and  that  never  tyrant,  for 
such  I  acknowledged  myself  to  be,  was  ever  so  universally  beloved,  and  yet  so 
horribly  feared,  by  his  subjects. 

After  amusing  him  with  these  riddles  in  government  for  awhile,  I  opened  the 
case,  and  told  him  the  story  at  large  of  my  living  in  the  island ;  and  how  I 
managed  both  myself  and  the  people  that  were  under  me,  just  as  I  have  since 
minuted  it  down.  They  were  exceedingly  taken  with  the  story,  and  especially  the 
prince,  who  told  me,  with  a  sigh,  that  the  true  greatness  of  life  was  to  be 
masters  of  ourselves ;  that  he  would  not  have  exchanged  such  a  state  of  life  as 
mine  to  be  Czar  of  Muscovy ;  and  that  he  found  more  felicity  in  the  retirement 
he  seemed  to  be  banished  to  there  than  ever  he  found  in  the  highest  authority  he 
enjoyed  in  the  court  of  his  master  the  Czar ;  that  the  height  of  human  wisdom 
was  to  bring  our  tempers  down  to  our  circumstances,  and  to  make  a  calm 
within,  under  the  weight  of  the  greatest  storms  without.  When  he  came  first 
hither,  he  said  he  used  to  tear  the  hair  from  his  head,  and  the  clothes  from  his 
back,  as  others  had  done  before  him ;  but  a  little  time  and  consideration  had 
made  him  look  into  himself,  as  well  as  round  him,  to  things  without :  that  he 
found  the  mind  of  man,  if  it  was  but  once  brought  to  reflect  upon  the  state  of 
universal  life,  and  how  little  this  world  was  concerned  in  its  true  felicity,  was 
perfectly    capable    of  making    a    felicity  for   itself,   fully    satisfying    to    itself,   and 


406  Robinson  Crusoe: 

suitable  to  its  own  best  ends  and  desires,  with  but  very  little  assistance  from  the 
world.  The  air  to  breathe  in,  food  to  sustain  life,  clothes  for  warmth,  and  liberty 
for  exercise,  in  order  to  health,  completed,  in  his  opinion,  all  that  the  world 
could  do  for  us ;  and  though  the  greatness,  the  authority,  the  riches,  and  the 
pleasures  which  some  enjoyed  in  the  world  had  much  in  them  that  was  agree- 
able to  us,  yet  all  those  things  chiefly  gratified  the  coarsest  of  our  affections, 
such  as  our  ambition,  our  particular  pride,  avarice,  vanity,  and  sensuality ;  all 
which,  being  the  mere  product  of  the  worst  part  of  man,  were  in  themselves 
crimes,  and  had  in  them  the  seeds  of  all  manner  of  crimes ;  but  neither  were 
related  to,  nor  concerned  with,  any  of  those  virtues  that  constituted  us  wise  men, 
nor  of  those  graces  that  distingished  us  as  Christians :  that  being  now  deprived 
of  all  the  fancied  felicity  which  he  enjoyed  in  the  full  exercise  of  all  those  vices, 
he  said  he  was  at  leisure  to  look  upon  the  dark  side  of  them,  where  he  found 
all  manner  of  deformity ;  and  was  now  convinced  that  virtue  only  makes  a  man 
truly  wise,  rich,  and  great,  and  preserves  him  in  the  way  to  a  superior  happiness 
in  a  future  state ;  and  in  this,  he  said,  they  were  more  happy  in  their  banish- 
ment than  all  their  enemies  were,  who  had  the  full  possession,  of  all  the  wealth 
and  power  they  had  left  behind  them.  "Nor,  sir,"  says  he,  "do  I  bring  my 
mind  to  this  politically,  from  the  necessity  of  my  circumstances,  which  some 
call  miserable ;  but,  if  I  know  anything  of  myself,  I  would  not  now  go  back, 
though  the  Czar  my  master  should  call  me,  and  reinstate  me  in  all  my  former 
grandeur ;  I  say,  I  would  no  more  go  back  to  it  than  I  believe  my  soul,  when  it 
shall  be  delivered  from  this  prison  of  the  body,  and  has  had  a  taste  of  the 
glorious  state  beyond  life,  would  come  back  to  the  goal  of  flesh  and  blood  it  is 
now  inclosed  in,  and  leave  heaven,  to  trail  in  the  dirt  and  crime  of  human 
affairs." 

He  spoke  this  with  so  much  warmth  in  his  temper,  so  much  earnestness  and 
motion  of  his  spirits,  that  it  was  evident  it  was  the  true  sense  of  his  soul ;  there 
was  no  room  to  doubt  his  sincerity.  I  told  him  I  once  thought  myself  a  kind  of 
monarch  in  my  old  station,  of  which  I  had  given  him  an  account ;  but  that  I 
thought  he  was  not  only  a  monarch,  but  a  great  conqueror ;  for  he  that  had 
got  a  victory  over  his  own  exorbitant  desires,  and  the  absolute  dominion  over 
himself,  he  whose  reason  entirely  governs  his  will,  is  certainly  greater  than  he  that 
conquers  a  city.  "  But,  my  lord,"  said  I,  "  shall  I  take  the  liberty  to  ask  you  a 
question?"  "With  all  my  heart,"  says  he.  "If  the  door  of  your  liberty  was 
opened,"  said  I,  "would  you  not  take  hold  of  it,  to  deliver  yourself  from  this 
exile?"  "Hold,"  said  he;  "your  question  is  subtle  and  requires  some  serious, 
just  distinctions  to  give  it  a  sincere  answer ;  and  I  will  give  it  you  from  the 
bottom  of  my  heart.  Nothing  that  I  know  of  in  the  world  would  move  me  to 
deliver  myself  from  this  state  of  banishment,  except  these  two  :  first,  the  enjoyment 
of  my  relations ;  and,  secondly,  a  little  warmer  climate ;  but  I  protest  to  you, 
that  to  go  back  to  the  pomp  of  the  court,  the  glory,  the  power,  the  hurry  of  a 
minister  of  state  ;  the  wealth,  the  gayety,  and  the  pleasures  of  a  courtier ;  if  my 
master  should  send  me  word  this  moment  that  he  restores  me  to  all  he  banished 


In  Siberia. 


407 


me  from,  I  protest,  if  I  know  myself  at  all,  I  would  not  leave  this  wilderness, 
these  deserts,  and  these  frozen  lakes,  for  the  palace  at  Moscow."  "  But,  my  lord," 
said  I,  "perhaps  you  not  only  are  banished  from  the  pleasures  of  the  court,  and 
from  the  power,  authority,  and  wealth  you  enjoyed  before,  but  you  may  be  absent, 
too,  from  some  of  the  conveniences  of  life :  your  estate,  perhaps,  confiscated,  and 
your  effects  plundered;  and  the  supplies  left  you  here  may  not  be  suitable  to 
the  ordinary  demands  of  life."  "  Aye,"  says  he,  "  that  is  as  you  suppose  me  to  be 
a  lord,  or  a  prince,  etc. ;  so, 
indeed,  I  am  ;  but  you  are 
now  to  consider  me  only 
as  a  man,  a  human  creat- 
ure, not  at  all  distinguished 
from  another ;  and  so  I 
can  suffer  no  want,  unless 
I  should  be  visited  with 
sickness  and  distempers. 
However,  to  put  the 
question  out  of  dispute, 
you  see  our  way  of  life : 
we  are,  in  this  place,  five 
persons  of  rank ;  we  live 
perfectly  retired,  as  suited 
to  a  state  of  banishment ; 
we  have  something  res- 
cued from  the  shipwreck 
of  our  fortunes,  which 
keeps  us  from  the  mere 
necessity  of  hunting  for 
our  food ;  but  the  poor 
soldiers,  who  are  here 
without   that   help,  live   in 

as  much  plenty  as  we,  who  go  in  the  woods  and  catch  sables  and  foxes ;.  the 
labor  of  a  month  will  maintain  them  a  year ;  and  as  the  way  of  living  is  not 
expensive,  so  it  is  not  hard  to  get  sufficient  for  ourselves.  So  that  objection  is 
out  of  doors." 

I  have  not  room  to  give  a  full  account  of  the  most  agreeable  conversation  I 
had  with  this  truly  great  man ;  in  all  which  he  showed  that  his  mind  was  so 
inspired  with  a  superior  knowledge  of  things,  so  supported  by  religion,  as  well  as 
by  a  vast  share  of  wisdom,  that  his  contempt  of  the  world  was  really  as  much  as 
he  had  expressed,  and  that  he  was  always  the  same  to  the  last,  as  will  appear  in 
the  story  I  am  going  to  tell. 

I  had  been  here  eight  months,  and  a  dark,  dreadful  winter  I  thought  it ;  the 
cold  so  intense  that  I  could  not  so  much  as  look  abroad  without  being  wrapped 
in  furs,  and  a  mask  of  fur  before  my  face,  or  rather  a  hood,  with  only  a  hole  for 


"brought  us  in  fine  venison"  {p. 


408  Robinson  Crusoe. 

breath,  and  two  for  sight:  the  little  daylight  we  had  was,  as  we  reckoned,  for 
three  months  not  above  five  hours  a  day,  and  six  at  most ;  only  that  the  snow 
lying  on  the  ground  continually,,  and  the  weather  being  clear,  it  was  never  quite 
dark.  Our  horses  were  kept,  or  rather  starved,  underground ;  and  as  for  our 
servants,  whom  we  hired  here  to  look  after  ourselves  and  horses,  we  had,  every 
now  and  then,  their  fingers  and  toes  to  thaw  and  take  care  of,  lest  they  should 
mortify,  and  fall  off. 

It  is  true,  within  doors  we  were  warm,  the  houses  being  close,  the  walls  thick, 
the  lights  small,  and  the  glass  all  double.  Our  food  was  chiefly  the  flesh  of  deer, 
dried  and  cured  in  the  season ;  bread  good  enough,  but  baked  as  biscuits ;  dried 
fish  of  several  sorts,  and  some  flesh  of  mutton  and  of  buffaloes,  which  is  pretty 
good  meat.  All  the  stores  of  provisions  for  the  winter  are  laid  up  in  the  summer, 
and  well  cured :  our  drink  was  water,  mixed  with  aqua  vitas  instead  of  brandy ; 
and  for  a  treat,  mead  instead  of  wine,  which,  however,  they  have  very  good.  The 
hunters,  who  venture  abroad  all  weathers,  frequently  brought  us  in  fine  venison, 
and  sometimes  bear's  flesh,  but  we  did  not  much  care  for  the  last.  We  had  a 
good  stock  of  tea,  with  which  we  treated  our  friends,  and  we  lived  very  cheerfully 
and  well,  all  things  considered. 

It  was  now  March,  the  days  grown  considerably  longer,  and  the  weather  at 
least  tolerable ;  so  the  other  travelers  began  to  prepare  sledges  to  carry  them  over 
the  snow,  and  to  get  things  ready  to  be  going ;  but  my  measures  being  fixed,  as 
I  have  said,  for  Archangel,  and  not  for  Muscovy  or  the  Baltic,  I  made  no  motion ; 
knowing  very  well  that  the  ships  from  the  south  do  not  set  out  for  that  part  of 
the  world  till  May  or  June ;  and  that  if  I  was  there  by  the  beginning  of  August, 
it  would  be  as  soon  as  any  ships  would  be  ready  to  go  away ;  and  therefore  I 
made  no  haste  to  be  gone,  as  others  did :  in  a  word,  I  saw  a  great  many  people, 
nay,  all  the  travelers,  go  away  before  me.  It  seems  every  year  they  go  from 
thence  to  Muscovy  for  trade,  to  carry  furs,  and  buy  necessaries,  which  they  bring 
back  with  them  to  furnish  their  shops :  also  others  went  on  the  same  errand  to 
Archangel ;  but  then  they  all  being  to  come  back  again  above  eight  hundred  miles, 
went  out  before  me. 

In  the  month  of  May,  I  began  to  make  all  ready  to  pack  up ;  and,  as  I  was 
doing  this,  it  occurred  to  me  that,  seeing  all  these  people  were  banished  by  the 
Czar  of  Muscovy  to  Siberia,  and  yet,  when  they  came  there,  were  left  at  liberty 
to  go  whither  they  would,  why  they  did  not  then  go  away  to  any  part  of  the 
world,  wherever  they  thought  fit :  and  I  began  to  examine  what  should  hinder 
them  from  making  such  an  attempt.  But  my  wonder  was  over  when  I  entered 
upon  that  subject  with  the  person  I  have  mentioned,  who  answered  me  thus : 
"  Consider,  first,  sir,"  said  he,  "  the  place  where  we  are ;  and,  secondly,  the  con- 
dition we  are  in ;  especially  the  generality  of  the  people  who  are  banished  hither. 
We  are  surrounded  with  stronger  things  than  bars  or  bolts ;  on  the  north  side,  an 
unnavigable  ocean,  where  ship  never  sailed,  and  boat  never  swam ;  every  other 
way  we  have  above  a  thousand  miles  to  pass  through  the  Czar's  own  dominions, 
and  by  ways  utterly  impassable,  except  by  the  roads  made  by  the   Government, 


Preparations  for  Departure.  409 

and  through  the  towns  garrisoned  by  his  troops ;  so  that  we  could  neither  pass 
undiscovered  by  the  road,  nor  subsist  any  other  way ;  so  that  it  is  in  vain  to 
attempt  it." 

I  was  silenced,  indeed,  at  once,  and  found  that  they  were  in  a  prison  every 
jot  as  secure  as  if  they  had  been  locked  up  in  the  castle  at  Moscow :  however,  it 
came  into  my  thoughts  that  I  might  certainly  be  made  an  instrument  to  procure 
the  escape  of  this  excellent  person ;  and  that,  whatever  hazard  I  ran,  I  would 
certainly  try  if  I  could  carry  him  off.  Upon  this,  I  took  an  occasion,  one 
evening,  to  tell  him  my  thoughts.  I  represented  to  him  that  it  was  very  easy  for 
me  to  carry  him  away,  there  being  no  guard  over  him  in  the  country ;  and  as  I 
was  not  going  to  Moscow,  but  to  Archangel,  and  that  I  went  in  the  retinue 
of  a  caravan,  by  which  I  was  not  obliged  to  lie  in  the  stationary  towns  in  the 
desert,  but  could  encamp  every  night  where  I  would,  we  might  easily  pass 
uninterrupted  to  Archangel,  where  I  would  immediately  secure  him  on  board 
an  English  ship,  and  carry  him  safe  along  with  me ;  and  as  to  his  sub- 
sistence and  other  particulars,  it  should  be  my  care  till  he  could  better  supply 
himself. 

He  heard  me  very  attentively,  and  looked  earnestly  on  me  all  the  while  I 
spoke :  nay,  I  could  see  in  his  very  face  that  what  I  said  put  his  spirits  into  an 
exceeding  ferment ;  his  color  frequently  changed,  his  eyes  looked  red,  and  his 
heart  fluttered,  till  it  might  be  even  perceived  in  his  countenance ;  nor  could  he 
immediately  answer  me  when  I  had  done,  and,  as  it  were,  hesitated  what  he 
would  say  to  it :  but,  after  he  had  paused  a  little,  he  embraced  me  and  said, 
"  How  unhappy  are  we,  unguarded  creatures  as  we  are,  that  even  our  greatest 
acts  of  friendship  are  made  snares  unto  us,  and  we  are  made  tempters  of  one 
another!  My  dear  friend,"  said  he,  "your  offer  is  so  sincere",  has  such  kindness 
in  it,  is  so  disinterested  in  itself,  and  is  so  calculated  for  my  advantage,  that  I 
must  have  very  little  knowledge  of  the  world  if  I  did  not  both  wonder  at  it  and 
acknowledge  the  obligation  I  have  upon  me  to  you  for  it.  But  did  you  believe  I 
was  sincere  in  what  I  have  often  said  to  you  of  my  contempt  of  the  world?  Did 
you  believe  I  spoke  my  very  soul  to  you,  and  that  I  had  really  obtained  that 
degree  of  felicity  here  that  had  placed  me  above  all  that  the  world  could  give 
me?  Did  you  believe  I  was  sincere  when  I  told  you  I  would  not  go  back,  if  I 
was  recalled  even  to  be  all  that  I  once  was  in  the  court,  with  the  favor  of  the 
Czar  my  master?  Did  you  believe  me,  my  friend,  to  be  an  honest  man?  or  did 
you  believe  me  to  be  a  boasting  hypocrite?  "  Here  he  stopped,  as  if  he  would 
hear  what  I  would  say ;  but,  indeed,  I  soon  after  perceived  that  he  stopped 
because  his  spirits  were  in  motion,  his  great  heart  was  full  of  struggles,  and  he 
could  not  go  on.  I  was,  I  confess,  astonished  at  the  thing  as  well  as  at  the 
man,  and  I  used  some  arguments  with  him  to  urge  him  to  set  himself  free ; 
that  he  ought  to  look  upon  this  as  a  door  opened  by  Heaven  for  his 
deliverance,  and  a  summons  by  Providence,  who  has  the  care  and  dis- 
position of  all  events,  to  do  himself  good,  and  to  render  himself  useful  in  the 
world. 


410  Robinson  Crusoe. 

He  had  by  this  time  recovered  himself.  "  How  do  you  know,  sir,"  says  he, 
warmly,  "  but  that,  instead  of  a  summons  from  Heaven,  it  may  be  a  feint  of 
another  instrument ;  representing  in  alluring  colors  to  me  the  show  of  felicity  as 
a  deliverance,  which  may  in  itself  be  my  snare,  and  tend  directly  to  my  ruin? 
Here,  I  am  free  from  the  temptation  of  returning  to  my  former  miserable  great- 
ness ;  there,  I  am  not  sure  but  that  all  the  seeds  of  pride,  ambition,  avarice, 
and  luxury,  which  I  know  remain  in  nature,  may  revive  and  take  root,  and,  in  a 
word,  again  overwhelm  me ;  and  then  the  happy  prisoner,  whom  you  see  now 
master  of  his  soul's  liberty,  shall  be  the  miserable  slave  of  his  own  senses,  in 
the  full  enjoyment  of  all  personal  liberty.  Dear  sir,  let  me  remain  in  this  blessed 
confinement,  banished  from  the  crimes  of  life,  rather  than  purchase  a  show  of 
freedom  at  the  expense  of  the  liberty  of  my  reason,  and  at  the  future  happiness 
which  I  now  have  in  my  view,  but  shall  then,  I  fear,  quickly  lose  sight  of ;  for 
I  am  but  flesh ;  a  man,  a  mere  man :  have  passions  and  affections  as  likely  to 
possess  and  overthrow  me  as  any  man.  Oh,  be  not  my  friend  and  tempter  both 
together!  " 

If  I  was  surprised  before,  I  was  quite  dumb  now,  and  stood  silent,  looking  at 
him,  and,  indeed,  admiring  what  I  saw.  The  struggle  in  his  soul  was  so  great 
that,  though  the  weather  was  extremely  cold,  it  put  him  into  a  most  violent  sweat, 
and  I  found  he  wanted  to  give  vent  to  his  mind ;  so  I  said  a  word  or  two,  that 
I  would  leave  him  to  consider  of  it,  and  wait  on  him  again,  and  then  I  withdrew 
to  my  own  apartment. 

About  two  hours  after,  I  heard  somebody  at  or  near  the  door  of  my  room, 
and  I  was  going  to  open  the  door,  but  he  had  opened  it,  and  come  in.  "  My 
dear  friend,"  says  he,  "you  had  almost  overset  me,  but  I  am  recovered.  Do 
not  take  it  ill  that  I  do  not  close  with  your  offer.  I  assure  you  it  is  not  for 
want  of  sense  of  the  kindness  of  it  in  you ;  and  I  came  to  make  the  most 
sincere  acknowledgment  of  it  to  you ;  but  I  hope  I  have  got  the  victory  over 
myself."  "  My  lord,"  said  I,  "  I  hope  you  are  fully  satisfied  that  you  do  not 
resist  the  call  of  Heaven."  "Sir,"  said  he,  "if  it  had  been  from  Heaven,  the 
same  power  would  have  influenced  me  to  have  accepted  it ;  but  I  hope,  and  am 
fully  satisfied,  that  it  is  from  Heaven  that  I  decline  it,  and  I  have  infinite 
satisfaction  in  the  parting,  that  you  shall  leave  me  an  honest  man  still,  though 
not  a  free  man." 

I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  acquiesce,  and  make  professions  to  him  of  my 
having  no  end  in  it  but  a  sincere  desire  to  serve  him.  He  embraced  me  very 
passionately,  and  assured  me  he  was  sensible  of  that,  and  should  always 
acknowledge  it ;  and  Avith  that  he  offered  me  a  very  fine  present  of  sables, — too 
much,  indeed,  for  me  to  accept  from  a  man  in  his  circumstances,  and  I  would 
have  avoided  them,  but  he  would  not  be  refused. 

The  next  morning  I  sent  my  servant  to  his  lordship  with  a  small  present  of 
tea,  and  two  pieces  of  China  damask,  and  four  little  wedges  of  Japan  gold, 
which  did  not  all  weigh  above  six  ounces  or  thereabouts,  but  were  far  short 
of  the  value  of  his  sables,  which,  when  I   came  to  England,  I  found  worth  near 


Departure.  411 

two  hundred  pounds.  He  accepted  the  tea,  and  one  piece  of  the  damask, 
and  one  of  the  pieces  of  gold,  which  had  a  fine  stamp  upon  it,  of  the 
Japan  coinage,  which  I  found  he  took  for  the  rarity  of  it,  but  would  not  take 
any  more :  and  he  sent  word  by  my  servant  that  he  desired  to  speak 
with  me. 

When  I  came  to  him,  he  told  me  I  knew  what  had  passed  between  us,  and 
hoped  I  would  not  move  him  any  more  in  that  affair ;  but  that,  since  I  made 
such  a  generous  offer  to  him,  he  asked  me  if  I  had  kindness  enough  to  offer  the 
same  to  another  person  that  he  would  name  to  me,  in  whom  he  had  a  great 
share  of  concern.  I  told  him  that  I  could  not  say  I  inclined  to  do  so 
much  for  any  but  himself,  for  whom  I  had  a  particular  value,  and  should  have 
been  glad  to  have  been  the  instrument  of  his  deliverance ;  however,  if  he 
would  please  to  name  the  person  to  me,  I  would  give  him  my  answer.  He 
told  me  it  was  his  only  son ;  who,  though  I  had  not  seen  him,  yet  was 
in  the  same  condition  with  himself,  and  above  two  hundred  miles  from  him, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Oby ;  but  that,  if  I  consented,  he  would  send  for 
him. 

I  made  no  hesitation,  but  told  him  I  would  do  it.  I  made  some  ceremony 
in  letting  him  understand  that  it  was  wholly  on  his  account ;  and  that,  seeing 
I  could  not  prevail  on  him,  I  would  show  my  respect  to  him  by  my  concern  for 
his  son  ;  but  these  things  are  too  tedious  to  repeat  here.  He  sent  the  next  day 
for  his  son  ;  and  in  about  twenty  days  he  came  back  with  the  messenger,  bring- 
ing six  or  seven  horses,  loaded  with  very  rich  furs,  which,  in  the  whole, 
amounted  to  a  very  great  value.  Hit.  servants  brought  the  horses  into-  the 
town,  .but  left  the  young  lord  at  a  distance  till  night,  when  he  came  incognito 
into  our  apartment,  and  his  father  presented  him  to  me ;  and,  in  short, 
we  concerted  the  manner  of  our  traveling,  and  everything  proper  for  the 
journey. 

I  had  bought  a  considerable  quantity  of  sables,  black  fox  skins,  fine  ermines, 
and  such  other  furs  as  are  very  rich  in  that  city,  in  exchange  for  some  of  the 
goods  I  had  brought  from  China ;  in  particular,  for  the  cloves  and  nutmegs,  of 
which  I  sold  the  greatest  part  here,  and  the  rest  afterwards  at  Archangel,  for  a 
much  better  price  than  I  could  have  got  at  London  ;  and  my  partner,  who  was 
sensible  of  the  profit,  and  whose  business,  more  particularly  than  mine,  was  mer- 
chandise, was  mightily  pleased  with  our  stay,  on  account  of  the  traffic  we  made 
here. 

It  was  the  beginning  of  June  when  I  left  this  remote  place ;  a  city,  I  believe, 
little  heard  of  in  the  world ;  and,  indeed,  it  is  so  far  out  of  the  road  of  commerce, 
that  I  know  not  how  it  should  be  much  talked  of.  We  were  now  reduced  to  a 
very  small  caravan,  having  only  thirty-two  horses  and  camels  in  all,  and  all  of 
them  passed  for  mine,  though  my  new  guest  was  proprietor  of  eleven  of  them;  it 
was  most  natural,  also,  that  I  should  take  more  servants  with  me  than  I  had 
before ;  and  the  young  lord  passed  for  my  steward  ;  what  great  man  I  passed  for 
myself,  I  know  not,  neither  did  it  concern  me  to  inquire.     We  had  here  the  worst 


412  Robins  on  Crusoe. 

and  the  largest  desert  to  pass  over  that  we  met  with  in  our  whole  journey ;  I  call 
it  the  worst  because  the  way  was  very  deep  in  some  places,  and  very  uneven  in 
others ;  the  best  we  had  to  say  for  it  was,  that  we  thought  we  had  no  troops  of 
Tartars  or  robbers  to  fear,  and  that  they  never  came  on  this  side  the  river  Oby, 
or  at  least  very  seldom ;   but  we  found  it  otherwise. 

My  young  lord  had  a  faithful  Siberian  servant,  who  was  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  country,  and  led  us  by  private  roads,  so  that  we  avoided  coming  into 
the  principal  towns  and  cities  upon  the  great  road,  such  as  Tumen,  Soloy 
Kamskoi,  and  several  others ;  because  the  Muscovite  garrisons  which  are  kept 
there  are  very  curious  and  strict  in  their  observation  upon  travelers,  and  search- 
ing lest  any  of  the  banished  persons  of  note  should  make  their  escape  that  way 
into  Muscovy ;  but,  by  this  means,  as  we  were  kept  out  of  the  cities,  so  our 
whole  journey  was  a  desert,  and  we  were  obliged  to  encamp  and  lie  in  our 
tents,  when  we  might  have  had  very  good  accommodation  in  the  cities  on  the 
way ;  this  the  young  lord  was  so  sensible  of  that  he  would  not  allow  us 
to  lie  abroad  when  we  came  to  several  cities  on  the  way,  but  lay  abroad 
himself,  with  his  servant,  in  the  woods,  and  met  us  always  at  the  appointed 
places. 

We  had  just  entered  Europe,  having  passed  the  river  Kama,  which  in  these 
parts  is  the  boundary  between  Europe  and  Asia,  and  the  first  city  on  the 
European  side  was  called  Soloy  Kamskoi,  which  is  as  much  as  to  say,  the  great 
city  on  the  river  Kama ;  and  here  we  thought  to  see  some  evident  alteration  in 
the  people ;  but  we  were  mistaken ;  for  as  we  had  a  vast  desert  to  pass,  which 
is  near  seven  hundred  miles  long  in  some  places,  but  not  above  two  hundred 
miles  over  where  we  passed  it,  so  till  we  came  past  that  horrible  place,  we  found 
very  little  difference  between  that  country  and  the  Mogul  Tartary ;  the  people  are 
mostly  pagans,  and  little  better  than  the  savages  of  America;  their  houses 
and  towns  full  of  idols,  and  their  way  of  living  wholly  barbarous,  except  in  the 
cities,  and  the  villages  near  them,  where  they  are  Christians,  as  they  call  them- 
selves, of  the  Greek  Church,  but  have  their  religion  mingled  with  so  many  relics 
of  superstition  that  it  is  scarce  to  be  known  in  some  places  from  mere  sorcery 
and  witchcraft. 

In  passing  this  forest,  I  thought,  indeed,  we  must  (after  all  our  dangers  were, 
to  our  imagination,  escaped)  have  been  plundered  and  robbed,  and  perhaps  mur- 
dered by  a  troop  of  thieves ;  of  what  country  they  were,  I  am  yet  at  a  loss  to 
know ;  but  they  were  all  on  horseback,  carried  bows  and  arrows,  and  were  at  first 
about  forty-five  in  number ;  they  came  so  near  to  us  as  to  be  within  two  musket- 
shots,  and,  asking  no  questions,  surrounded  us  with  their  horses,  and  looked  very 
earnestly  upon  us  twice ;  at  length,  they  placed  themselves  just  in  our  way ;  upon 
which  we  drew  up  in  a  little  line,  before  our  camels,  being  not  above  sixteen  men 
in  all ;  and,  being  drawn  up  thus,  we  halted,  and  sent  out  the  Siberian  servant, 
who  attended  his  lord,  to  see  who  they  were  ;  his  master  was  the  more  willing  to 
let  him  go  because  he  was  not  a  little  apprehensive  that  they  were  a  Siberian 
troop  sent  out  after  him.     The  man   came  up  nearer  them  with  a  flag  of  truce, 


One  more  Adventure.  413 

and  called  to  them ;  but  though  he  spoke  several  of  their  languages,  or  dialects  of 
languages  rather,  he  could  not  understand  a  word  they  said ;  however,  after  some 
signs  to  him  not  to  come  near  them  at  his  peril,  the  fellow  came  back  no  wiser 
than  he  went ;  only  that  by  their  dress,  he  said,  he  believed  them  to  be  some 
Tartars  of  Kalmuck,  or  of  the  Circassian  hordes,  and  that  there  must  be  more  of 
them  upon  the  great  desert,  though  he  never  heard  that  any  of  them  were  seen  so 
far  north  before. 

About  an  hour  after,  they  again  made  a  motion  to  attack  us,  and  rode  round 
our  little  wood  to  see  where  they  might  break  in ;  but  finding  us  always  ready 
to  face  them,  they  went  off  again ;  and  we  resolved  not  to  stir  for  that 
night. 

This  was  small  comfort  to  us ;  however,  we  had  no  remedy ;  there  was,  on 
our  left  hand,  at  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  a  little  grove,  and  very 
near  the  road ;  I  immediately  resolved  we  should  advance  to  those  trees,  and 
fortify  ourselves  as  well  as  we  could  there ;  for,  first,  I  considered  that  the  trees 
would  in  a  great  measure  cover  us  from  their  arrows ;  and,  in  the  next  place, 
they  could  not  come  to  charge  us  in  a  body ;  it  was,  indeed,  my  old'  Portuguese 
pilot  who  proposed  it,  and  who  had  this  excellency  attending  him,  that  he  was 
always  readiest  and  most  apt  to  direct  and  encourage  us  in  cases  of  the  most 
danger.  We  advanced  immediately,  with  what  speed  we  could,  and  gained  that 
little  wood ;  the  Tartars,  or  thieves,  for  we  knew  not  what  to  call  them,  keeping 
their  stand,  and  not  attempting  to  hinder  us.  When  we  came  thither,  we  found, 
to  our  great  satisfaction,  that  it  was  a  swampy  piece  of  ground,  and  on  the  one 
side  a  very  great  spring  of  water,  which,  running  out  in  a  little  brook,  was  a  little 
farther  joined  by  another  of  the  like  size ;  and  was,  in  short,  the  source  of  a 
considerable  river,  called  afterwards  the  Wirtska ;  the  trees  which  grew  about  this 
spring  were  not  above  two  hundred,  but  very  large,  and  stood  pretty  thick,  so 
that  as  soon  as  we  got  in,  we  saw  ourselves  perfectly  safe  from  the  enemy  unless 
they  attacked  us  on  foot. 

While  we  stayed  here  waiting  the  motion  of  the  enemy  some  hours,  without 
perceiving  that  they  made  any  movement,  our  Portuguese,  with  some  help,  cut 
several  arms  of  trees  half  off,  and  laid  them  hanging  across  from  one  tree  to 
another,  and  in  a  manner  fenced  us  in.  About  two  hours  before  night,  they 
came  down  directly  upon  us ;  and  though  we  had  not  perceived  it,  we  found  they 
had  been  joined  by  some  more,  so  that  they  were  near  forescore  horse ;  whereof, 
however,  we  fancied  some  were  women.  They  came  on  till  they  were  within 
half-shot  of  our  little  wood,  when  we  fired  one  musket  without  ball,  and  called  to 
them  in  the  Russian  tongue,  to  know  what  they  wanted,  and  bade  them  keep  off ; 
but  they  came  on  with  a  double  fury  up  to  the  wood  side,  not  imagining  we 
were  so  barricaded  that  they  could  not  easily  break  in.  Our  old  pilot  was  our 
captain,  as  well  as  our  engineer,  and  desired  us  not  to  fire  upon  them  till  they 
came  within  pistol  shot,  that  we  might  be  sure  to  kill,  and  that  when  we 
did  fire  we  should  be  sure  to  take  good  aim ;  we  bade  him  give  the  word 
of  command,    which   he    delayed   so    long,    that    they  were   some   of  them  within 


4  H  Robinson  Crusoe. 

two  pikes'  length  of  us  when  we  let  fly.  We  aimed  so  true  that  we  killed 
fourteen  of  them,  and  wounded  several  others,  as  also  several  of  their 
horses ;  for  we  had  all  of  us  loaded  our  pieces  with  two  or  three  bullets  at 
least. 

They  were  terribly  surprised  with  our  fire,  and  retreated  immediately  about 
one  hundred  rods  from  us ;  in  which  time  we  loaded  our  pieces  again,  and 
seeing  them  keep  that  distance,  we  sallied  out,  and  caught  four  or  five  of  their 
horses,  whose  riders  we  supposed  were  killed ;  and  coming  up  to  the  dead,  we 
judged  they  were  Tartars,  but  knew  not  how  they  came  to  make  an  excursion 
such  an  unusual  length. 

We  slept  little,  you  may  be  sure,  but  spent  the  most  part  of  the  night  in 
strengthening  our  situation,  and  barricading  the  entrances  into  the  wood,  and 
keeping  a  strict  watch.  We  waited  for  daylight,  and  when  it  came,  it  gave  us  a 
very  unwelcome  discovery  indeed ;  for  the  enemy,  who  we  thought  were  dis- 
couraged with  the  reception  they  met  with,  were  now  greatly  increased,  and  had 
set  up  eleven  or  twelve  huts  or  tents,  as  if  they  were  resolved  to  besiege  us ;  and 
this  little  camp  they  had  pitched  upon  the  open  plain,  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  us.  We  were  indeed  surprised  at  this  discovery ;  and  now,  I  confess, 
I  gave  myself  over  for  lost,  and  all  that  I  had ;  the  loss  of  my  effects  did  not  lie 
so  near  me,  though  very  considerable,  as  the  thoughts  of  falling  into  the  hands  of 
such  barbarians,  at  the  latter  end  of  my  journev,  after  so  many  difficulties  and 
hazards  as  I  had  gone  through,  and  even  in  sight  of  our  port,  where  we  expected 
safety  and  deliverance.  As  to  my  partner,  he  was  raging,  and  declared  that  to 
lose  his  goods  would  be  his  ruin,  and  that  he  would  rather  die  than  be  starved, 
and  he  was  for  fighting  to  the  last  drop. 

The  young  lord,  a  gallant  youth,  was  for  fighting  to  the  last  also ;  and  my  old 
pilot  was  of  opinion  that  we  were  able  to  resist  them  all  in  the  situation  we  were 
then  in ;  and  thus  we  spent  the  day  in  debates  of  what  we  should  do ;  but 
towards  the  evening  we  found  that  the  number  of  our  enemies  still  increased,  and 
we  did  not  know  but  by  the  morning  they  might  still  be  a  greater  number ;  so  I 
began  to  inquire  of  those  people  we  had  brought  from  Tobolski,  if  there  were  no 
private  ways  by  which  we  might  avoid  them  in  the  night,  and  perhaps  retreat  to 
some  town,  or  get  help  to  guard  us  over  the  desert.  The  Siberian  who  was 
servant  to  the  young  lord  told  us,  if  we  designed  to  avoid  them,  and  not  fight, 
he  would  engage  to  carry  us  off  in  the  night,  to  a  way  that  went  north,  towards 
the  river  Petrou,  by  which  he  made  no  question  but  we  might  get  away,  and  the 
Tartars  never  discover  it ;  but  he  said  his  lord  had  told  him  he  would  not 
retreat,  but  would  rather  choose  to  fight.  I  told  him  he  mistook  his  lord ;  for 
that  he  was  too  wise  a  man  to  love  fighting  for  the  sake  of  it ;  that  I  knew 
his  lord  was  brave  enough,  by  what  he  had  showed  already ;  but  that  his  lord 
knew  better  than  to  desire  seventeen  or  eighteen  men  to  fight  five  hundred, 
unless  an  unavoidable  necessity  forced  them  to  do  it ;  and  that  if  he  thought 
it  possible  for  us  to  escape  in  the  night,  we  had  nothing  else  to  do  but  to 
attempt    it.      He    answered,   if    his    lordship    gave    him    such     orders,    he     would 


N earing  Home.  415 

lose  his  life  if  he  did  not  perform  it ;  we  soon  brought  his  lord  to  give 
that  order,  though  privately,  and  we  immediately  prepared  for  putting  it  in 
practice. 

And  first,  as  soon  as  it  began  to  be  dark,  we  kindled  a  fire  in  our  little 
camp,  which  we  kept  burning,  and  prepared  so  as  to  make  it  burn  all  night,  that 
the  Tartars  might  conclude  we  were  still  there ;  but  as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  and 
we  could  see  the  stars  (for  our  guide  would  not  stir  before),  having  all  our  horses 
and  camels  ready  loaded,  we  followed  our  new  guide,  who  I  soon  found  steered 
himself  by  the  north  star. 

After  we  had  traveled  two  hours  very  hard,  it  began  to  be  lighter  still ;  not 
that  it  was  dark  all  night,  but  the  moon  began  to  rise,  so  that,  in  short,  it 
was  rather  lighter  than  we  wished  it  lo  be ;  but  by  six  o'clock  the  next  morning, 
we  had  got  above  thirty  miles,  having  almost  spoiled  our  horses.  Here  we  found 
a  Russian  village,  named  Kermazinskoy,  where  we  rested,  and  heard  nothing  of 
the  Kalmuck  Tartars  that  day.  About  two  hours  before  night  we  set  out  again, 
and  traveled  till  eight  the  next  morning,  though  not  quite  so  hard  as  before ;  and 
about  seven  o'clock  we  passed  a  little  river  called  Kirtza,  and  came  to  a  good 
large  town  inhabited  by  Russians,  called  Ozomoys ;  there  we  heard  that  several 
troops  of  Kalmucks  had  been  abroad  upon  the  desert,  but  that  we  were  now 
completely  out  of  danger  of  them,  which  was  to  our  great  satisfaction.  Here 
we  were  obliged  to  get  some  fresh  horses,  and  having  need  enough  of  rest,  we 
stayed  five  days ;  and  my  partner  and  I  agreed  to  give  the  honest  Siberian  who 
brought  us  thither  the  value  of  ten  pistoles. 

In  five  days  more  we  came  to  Veuslima  upon  the  river  Wirtzogda,  and  running 
into  the  Dwina :  we  were  there,  very  happily,  near  the  end  of  our  travels  by  land, 
that  river  being  navigable,  in  seven  days'  passage,  to  Archangel.  From  hence,  we 
came  to  Lawrenskoy,  the  3d  of  July ;  and,  providing  ourselves  with  two  luggage 
boats,  and  a  barge  for  our  own  convenience,  we  embarked  the  7th,  and  arrived  all 
safe  at  Archangel  the  18th;  having  been  a  year,  five  months,  and  three  days  on 
the  journey,  including  our  stay  of  eight  months  at  Tobolski.  We  were  obliged  to 
stay  at  this  place  six  weeks  for  the  arrival  of  the  ships,  and  must  have  talSed 
longer  had  not  an  Hamburger  come  in  above  a  month  sooner  than  any  of  the 
English  ships ;  when,  after  some  consideration  that  the  city  of  Hamburg  might 
happen  to  be  as  good  a  market  for  our  goods  as  London,  we  all  took  freight 
with  him ;  and,  having  put  our  goods  on  board,  it  was  most  natural  for  me  to 
put  my  steward  on  board  to  take  care  of  them ;  by  which  means  my  young 
lord  had  a  sufficient  opportunity  to  conceal  himself,  never  coming  on  shore 
again  all  the  time  we  stayed  there ;  and  this  he  did  that  he  might  not  be  seen  in 
the  city,  where  some  of  the  Moscow  merchants  would  certainly  have  seen  and 
discovered  him. 

We  then  set  sail  from  Archangel  the  20th  of  August,  the  same  year;  and, 
after  no  extraordinary  bad  voyage,  arrived  safe  in  the  Elbe  the  18th  of  Septem- 
ber. Here  my  partner  and  I  found  a  very  good  sale  for  our  goods,  as  well 
those   of   China   as   the    sables,    etc.,    of   Siberia ;     and,   dividing    the   produce,   my 


416 


Robinson  Crusoe. 


share  amounted  to  ^3475  17s.  3d.,  including  about  six  hundred  pounds'  worth 
of  diamonds,  which  I  purchased  at  Bengal. 

Here  the  young  lord  took  his  leave  of  us,  and  went  up  the  Elbe,  in  order  to 
go  to  the  court  of  Vienna,  where  he  resolved  to  seek  protection,  and  could 
correspond  with  those  of  his  father's  friends  who  were  left  alive.  He  did  not 
part  without  testimonies  of  gratitude  for  the  service  I  had  done  him,  and  for  my 
kindness  to  the  prince,  his  father. 

To  conclude :  having  stayed  near  four  months  in  Hamburg,  I  came  from 
thence  by  land  to  the  Hague,  where  I  embarked  in  the  packet,  and  arrived  in 
London  the  10th  of  January,  1705,  having  been  absent  from  England  ten  years 
and  nine  months.  And  here  I  resolved  to  prepare  for  a  longer  journey  than 
all  these,  having  lived  a  life  of  infinite  variety  seventy-two  years,  and  learned 
sufficiently  to  know  the  value  of  retirement,  and  the  blessing  of  ending  our 
days  in  peace. 


d   nui 
xiu  for  my 


